Children's Picture Book Stories by Subject

Accepting Yourself / Accepting Others / Adoption / Adventures / Alphabet  / Animals / April Fool's Day /  Bedtime / Beginning Readers / Behavior Bilingual / Birthdays / Books / Christmas / Cleanliness / Clothing / Colors / Conservation Counting / Courage Cultural Diversity / Dance / Day Care / Death / Disabilities / Divorce / Easter / EmotionsEtiquette/Manners / Family / Father's Day / Fishes /  Folklore / Food / Foster Care/ Friendship Getting Lost/ Ghost Stories / Groundhog Day / Growing up / Halloween / Hanukkah / Helping / History / Homes / Illness / ImaginationInsects / Jobs / July 4th / Learning a new skill / Math / Monsters / Mother's Day / Moving / Music / NatureNew Baby / Night TimeNoiseNon-Fiction / Pets / Poetry  / Real People / Religion / Rhyming / School / Science Seasons / Separation Anxiety / Sexual Abuse/ Shapes SharingSiblings / Silly Stories  / Spanish Language Books / Stealing / Time / Thanksgiving / Transportation / Valentine's Day / Violence / Weather / Women / Wordless Stories / Zoos

 COS Fiction for Children:  Elementary - Young Adult

Caldecott Award Winners           Newbery Award Winners

* indicates a good book for story telling

Use the COS online catalog to search for specific titles and/or authors.

Accepting and Loving Yourself

Title: Arthur's Nose
Author: Marc Brown
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company, 1976
"Unhappy with his nose, Arthur visits the rhinologist to get a new nose."

* Title: Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andreae     Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1999
"Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance with all the other animals at the Jungle Dance, until he finds the right music.

Title: Hey, Al
Author: Arthur Yorinks    Illustrator: Richard Egielski
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1986
"Al, a janitor, and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a single room on the West Side and are very bored with their lives. Magically transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, they are soon living a life of ease and comfort but after a while the realize there is no place like home." Caldecott Award Winner, 1987

* Title: I'm as Quick as a Cricket
Author: Audrey Wood   Illustrator: Don Wood
Publisher: Child's Play, 1982
With a gentle rhythm, this book explores how a boy describes himself using animals as a reference.

Title: It Came from Outer Space
 Author: Tony Bradman, Illustrator: Carol Wright 
Publisher: Dial Books, 1992
 "A visitor from outer space visits an elementary school class and brings an important message about physical beauty."    

Title: Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope
Author: Trudy Krishner    Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 1992
Kathy learns to face her cancer and the resulting loss of hair with courage and humor.

Title: Little Donkey's Wish
Author: Udo Weigelt     Illustrator: Pirkko Vainio
Publisher: North-South Books, 2005
Josie, the youngest and smallest donkey is so little that sometimes the other teased her and said that she might not even be a real donkey, but Santa picks her over all the other donkeys to be a replacement for an ill reindeer."

*Title: The Littlest Dinosaur
Author and Illustrator: Michael Foreman
Publisher: Walker & Company, 2008
"The littlest dinosaur thinks he is too small to do much of anything until his family and neighbors are in trouble and need his help."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Title: Miss Alaineus: a Vocabulary Disaster
Author: Debra Frasier
Publisher: Harcourt, 2000
"When Sage's spelling and definition of a word reveal her misunderstanding of it to her classmates, she is at first embarrassed, but then uses her mistake as inspiration for the vocabulary parade."

 Title: Miserable Marabou
 Author: Franz Berliner, Illustrator: Irene Hedlund 
Publisher Gareth Stevens Children's Books, 1989
"Marabou, the stork, is despondent because he sees nothing good about himself until a sparrow gives him incentive to change his life."

*Title: Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores
Author: James Howe      Illustrator: Amy Walrod
Publisher: Atheneum, 1999
"Three mice friends learn that the best clubs include everyone. The mouse friends learn to do what they like, rather than what others say they should like."

*Title: Princess Pig
Author: Eileen Spinelli        Illustrator: Tim Bowers
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009
"A parade princess's sash gets caught up in a gust of wind and lands on a sleeping little pig. Suddenly, Pig's dreams have come true! She is now Princess Pig. She will wear only princessy things, eat only what princesses eat, and do only what a princess does. Everything will be perfect and wonderful now that she is truly special and not just a regular pig. Won't it? All hail Princess Pig--and every regular little girl who knows what really makes her special."

Title: The Ugly Duckling
Author: Hans Christian Anderson      Adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: Scholastic, 1999
  A baby swan ends up being hatched in a duck's nest. He is teased, bullied and called ugly by all the other ducks. He spends a miserable year by himself and then finds out the next spring that he has grown into a beautiful adult swan.

* Title: Who Wants Arthur?
Author: Amanda Graham    Illustrator: Donna Gynell
Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1987
"Arthur, a dog in a pet store waiting to be adopted, takes on the identities of other animals he thinks might be more appealing, until discovering that he can be a success as himself."

back to subjects

Accepting Others

Title: About Handicaps
Author: Sara Bonnett Stein    Photography by Dick Frank
Publisher: Walker and Company, 1974
Discusses in a story for children and in smaller print for parents how to help their children not to be frightened or cruel to other disabled children."

Title: All About My Brother
Author and Illustrator: Sarah Peralta     Foreword by Brenda Smith Myles, Ph. D.
Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.,  2002
"A young author tell all about her brother who has autism."

* Title: And Tango Makes Three
Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell         Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005
"At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches."

Title: Becky the Brave: A Story About Epilepsy
Author: Laurie Lears        Illustrator: Gail Piazza
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2002
"Nothing seems to scare Sarah's big sister Becky, until having an epileptic seizure makes her reluctant to return to school, and so Sarah summons her own courage to explain the disease to the other students."

Title: Chester's Way
Author and Illustrator:  Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1988
"Chester and Wilson share the same exact way of doing things, until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good."

Title: Dumpy La Rue
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop  Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2001
"A rhyming story about a pig whose passion for dancing becomes contagious."

Title: Huge Harold
Author: Bill Peet
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1961
  "Harold, the rabbit, grows to be huge and has a difficult time finding a place to fit in."

Title: Little Donkey's Wish
Author: Udo Weigelt     Illustrator: Pirkko Vainio
Publisher: North-South Books, 2005
Josie, the youngest and smallest donkey is so little that sometimes the other teased her and said that she might not even be a real donkey, but Santa picks her over all the other donkeys to be a replacement for an ill reindeer."

Title: My Nose, Your Nose
Author: Melanie Walsh
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2002
"Come and join in this celebration of all our unique, funny parts. And see how we're similar too!"

Title: A Pig is Moving In!
Author: Claudia Fries
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2000
"Someone new is moving into the apartment building. 'It's ....a pig!' gasps Henrietta Hen. 'Everyone knows that pigs are messy and dirty and sloppy.'"

Title: The Sissy Duckling
Author: Harvey Fierstein   Illustator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002
  "Elmer the duck is teased because he is different, but he proves himself by not only surviving the winter, but also saving his papa."

Title: The Story of Ferdinand
Author: Munro Leaf   Illustrator: Robert Lawson
Publisher: Viking, 1936
"In Spain lives a big and strong bull whose name is Ferdinand. Unlike the other young bulls, Ferdinand does not like to fight. He would rather sit in the shade of his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers. And he does just that, until the day when a bumble-bee and some men from the Madrid bullfights give gentle Ferdinand a chance to be the most ferocious star of the corrida."

Title: Too Big to Dance
Author: Doug Anderson     Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Publisher: Handprint Books, 2004
"Eloise, the gentle zebra, was just a bit too big to join in the manning down at the juke joint. That's the same juke joint where Corndog Willie and his Slackjaws were playing up a storm. Of course, it will be up to gracious Cecil, the alligator, and Woo, the considerate armadillo, to set matters right."

Title: The Ugly Duckling
Author: Hans Christian Anderson      Adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: Scholastic, 1999
  A baby swan ends up being hatched in a duck's nest. He is teased, bullied and called ugly by all the other ducks. He spends a miserable year by himself and then finds out the next spring that he has grown into a beautiful adult swan.

Title: Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen
Author: DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Publisher: Marrow Junior Books, 1991
"A boy spends the day with Uncle Willie in the soup kitchen where he works preparing and serving food for the hungry."

back to subjects

Adoption

* Title: And Tango Makes Three
Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell         Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005
"At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches."

Title: Emma's Yucky Brother
Author: Jean Little   Illustrator: Jennifer Plecas
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001
"Emma finds out how hard it is to be a big sister when her family adopts a four-year-old boy named Max."

Title: You Bet Your Britches, Claude
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon,   Illustrator, Tracey Campbell Pearson
Publisher: Viking Penguin, 1989
"Shirley and Claude lead a settled life with their adopted son, Tom, until Shirley goes to town to retrieve Tom's sister, Bessie and the two run into more than their fair share of criminals."

back to subjects

Adventures

Title: The Cow Who Fell In the Canal
Author: Phyllis Krasilovsky   Illustrator: Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1953
  Hendrika was a cow living on a Holland farm. She was unhappy and bored until she accidentally got into a raft and went on an adventure.

Title: A Fun Weekend
 
Author: Franz Brandenberg, Illustrator: Alexa Brandenberg
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books, 1991
The bear family starts out for a night at a lodge but make so many stops they don't get there in time.

Title: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!
Author and Illustrator: Diane deGroat
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2002
 "Gilbert's day camp is going on an overnight trip, and Gilbert expects nothing but fun. But when loudmouthed Lewis tells him about the Camp Hi-Dee-Ho ghost, he can't help but feel a little nervous. And when he has to go outside in the middle of the night, it looks like he may have to confront his fears face-to-face."

* Title: Huge Harold
Author and Illustrator: Bill Peet
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1961
Harold, the rabbit, grew to be huge. He has some adventures and misfortunes along the way but ends up with a kind farmer and a good life. Told in rhyming phrases.

Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author: Maurice Sendak   
Publisher: Harper and Row, 1970
Mickey is awakened in the night and has an adventure in the night kitchen with the bakers.

Title: "It's Simple," said Simon
Author: Mary Ann Hoberman    Illustrator: Meilo So
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf, 2001
"After successfully meeting the challenges posed by a dog , cat, and horse, Simon meets a tiger that is much harder to satisfy and that he must outwit before he becomes the tiger's dinner.

Title: Jack and the Giant: A story full of beans
Author: Jim Harris
Publisher: South Sea International Press Ltd., 1997
Jack and the Beanstalk turned Western.

Title: Kitten's First Full Moon
Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2004
  "When kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2005

Title: Lottie's Circus
Author: Joan W. Blos,  Illustrator: Irene Trivas
Publisher: Morrow and Company, 1989
"Lottie imagines that she and her cat, Famous, are the stars of a wonderful circus."

* Title: Louella and the Yellow Balloon
Author: Molly Coxe
Publisher: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1988
"Patricia Pig takes her baby, Louella, to the circus and loses her when Louella wanders off to retrieve her new balloon. Luckily, Louella's mother spots her in time to make a thrilling rescue."

Title: The Minpins
Author: Roald Dahl,  Illustrator: Patrick Benson
Publisher: Viking, 1991
Little Billy's mother was always telling him exactly what he was and was not allowed to do. One day Little Billy goes into the forbidden forest and has an adventure. 
   
        
Title: Mr. Meredith and the Truly, Remarkable Stone
Author: Grace Chetwin, Illustrator: Catherine Stock
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1989
Mr. Meredith finds a stone and keeps making his house finer and more grand for the stone so more people can visit it and finally her has forgotten about the stone entirely.

Title: Princess Dinosaur
Author: Jill Kastner
Publisher: Greenwillow, 2001
"Princess Dinosaur has fun playing with the rest of the toys until Spots the dog comes and carries her off to an outdoor adventure."

Title: Robin Hook; Pirate Hunter
Author: Eric A. Kimmel      Illustrator: Michael Dooling
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2001
"A kind and honest young pirate and his ragamuffin crew thwart evil pirates by rescuing and giving riches to the innocent and the poor."

Title: Solomon the Rusty Nail
Author: William Steig
Publisher: Farrar, 1985
   "Solomon was an ordinary rabbit, except for one thing: anytime he wanted to he could turn into a rusty nail." This trick led him into an adventure.

Title: There's Nothing to Do
Author: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1986
"When Mary Ann and Louie are bored, Grandpa tells them what happened on day when he and his brother Wainey were bored."

Title: Tinker's Journey Home
Adapted by Paula Bryant,  Illustrator: Charlotte Adamson
Publisher:  Green Tiger Press, 1989
Tinker, a rabbit leaves home in search of his own place and finally finds it.
       
Title: The Travels of Babar
Author: Jean De Brunhoff
Originally Published by Random House in 1934 and now distributed in the United states by Alfred A. Knopf, 1962
Babar, the King of the Elephants and his new wife Céleste leave on their wedding trip and have a great adventure.

Title: We Were Tired of Living in a House
Author: Liesel Moak Skorpen,     Illustrator: Joe Cepeda
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons,  1999
"Four children move to a tree, a raft, a cave, and finally the seashore, enjoying each new dwelling until they discover its drawbacks."

*Title: Where's My Teddy?
Author: Jez Alborough
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 1992
A small boy named Eddie goes looking in the woods for his teddy bear so he can go to bed. He meets up with a big bear with a similar problem.
 

back to subjects      

Alphabet

Title: A is for Abigail: an Almanac of Amazing American Women
Author: Lynne Cheney     Illustrator:  Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2003
  Starting with the letter "A" this book takes a name such as Abigail Adams and discusses her achievements or takes the letter to represent a subject such as "E" for educators and briefly discusses several women in the field.

* Title: Alpha Oops!: The Day Z Went First
Author: Alethea Kontis     Illustrated by Bob Kolar
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2006
" Z is tired of always having to be last when the alphabet family lines up. He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backward, but it's not long before P has some ideas of his own .  It's chaos!"

Title: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions
Author: Margaret Musgrove     Illustrators: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial, 1976
"Explains some traditions and customs of twenty-six African tribes beginning with the letters from A to Z." Caldecott Award Winner, 1977

* Title: Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom *
Authors: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault       Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1989
  "An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree."

Title: Dog's ABC: A Silly Story about the Alphabet
Author: Emma Dodd
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 2000
"The clumsy dog finds an alphabet's worth of adventure as he patrols his neighborhood."

Title: Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z
Author: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and Co.,  1989
"An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini."

Title: The Handmade Alphabet
Author: Laura Rankin
Publisher: Dial Books, 1991
"Presents the manual alphabet used in American Sign Language."

* Title: I Stink!
Authors: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2002
This story follows the nightly runs of the garbage truck. It relates all the trash it picks up in alphabetical order.

*Title: Just in Case
Author and Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2008
"As Senor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents but with the hope of Zelmiro the Ghost, he find the best gift of all." The alphabetical words are in Spanish.
 

Title: Kipper's A to Z: An Alphabet Adventure
Author and Illustrator:  Mick Inkpen
Publisher: Red Wagon Books Harcourt, Inc.,  2000
"Kipper the dog and his friend Arnold work through the alphabet by collecting animals and other things for each letter."

Title: So Many Bunnies: a bedtime, abc, counting book
Author: Rick Walton    Illustrator: Paige Miglio
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books/ Marrow,  1998
"Old Mother Rabbit's twenty-six children, each named for a letter of the alphabet, are lovingly put to bed."

back to subjects

Animals    See Also Pets  See Also Fishes

* Title: And Tango Makes Three
Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell         Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005
"At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches."

Title: Animals in Action
Author: Lorraine Salem Tufts
Publisher: National Photographic Collections, 1995
 A non-fiction book with photographs and facts on a variety of animals in the Western hemisphere.

* Title: Barn Dance! *
Author: Bill Martin Jr., Illustrator: John Archambault
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1986
While a boy tries to sleep he hears square dance music and follows it out to the barn where the animals have gathered for a barn dance. A rhyming book.

Title: Bats at the Beach
Author and Illustrator: Brian Lies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2006
 "On a night when the moon can grow no fatter, bats pack their moon-tan lotion and baskets of treats and fly off for some fun at the beach."

* Title: Bats at the Library
Author and Illustrator: Brian Lies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2008
 "Bored with another normal, inky evening, bats discover an open library window and fly in to enjoy the photocopier, water fountain, and especially the books and stories found there."

* Title: Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson      Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002
"On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleep bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun."

* Title: Big Brown Bear's Up and Down Day
Author and Illustrator: David McPhail
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc, 2003
"Bear is big, and bear is brown and bear lives all alone. And then one day, Bear discovers he has a small, gray problem.  Rat."

Title: The Biggest Bear
Author: Lynd Ward
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1952
This book won the Caldecott award in 1953 and is still popular with children. Johnny goes out to shoot a bear and ends up bringing a cub home as a pet instead. Unfortunately, the bear outgrows his home and Johnny has to find a new home for him. Caldecott Award Winner, 1953

Title: Birds
Author: Kevin Henkes      Illustrator: Laura Dronzek
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2009
"Fascinated by the colors, shapes, sounds, and movements of the many different birds she sees through her window, a little girl is happy to discover that she and they have something in common."

Title:  A Book of Sleep
Author and Illustrator Il Sung Na
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007
Owl, who stays awake all night, visits the animals that are sleeping.

* Title: Bringing Down the Moon
Author: Emmett, Jonathan     Illustrator: Vanessa Cabban
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2001
"Mole is so taken with the beauty of the moon that he tries to get it from the sky, but eventually learns to appreciate it where it is."

* Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? *
Author: Bill Martin Jr.    Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Henry Holt, 1967
  This book talks about animals and colors.

* Title: Caps for Sale
Author and Illustrator: Esphyr Slobodkina
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.,  1940
"A tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business."

Title: Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs
Author: Ashman, Linda    Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Harcourt, Inc, 2001
"Describes some of the unique places where animals build their homes." Last picture shows children asleep in their home.

Title: Catching the Wind
Author: Joanne Ryder,   Illustrator: Michael Rothman
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1989
"Transformed into a bird for a day, a child joins a flock of wild geese in glorious flight." The story gives quite a bit of accurate information concerning geese.

*Title: Chicky Chicky Chook Chook
Author:  Cathy MacLennan
Publisher: Boxer Books, 2007
"Chicks, Kitties and buzzy bee, peck, fizz and scatter in the early morning sunshine. Soon it is time to snooze and snuggle in the shade from the midday sun."

*Title: A Clever Dog
Author: Jefferson Finney   Illustrator: Pegge Hopper
Publisher: Mutual Publishing, LLC, 2007
"An ordinary family pet proves to be an extraordinarily clever dog."

* Title: Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type
Author: Doreen Cronin   Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2000
"When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want."

* Title: Come Along, Daisy!
Author: Jane Simmons
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1997
"Daisy the duckling becomes so engrossed in playing with dragonflies and lily pads that she temporarily loses her mother.

* Title: Copy Me, Copycub
Author: Richard Edwards   Illustrator: Susan Winter
Publisher: Harpercollins, 1999
"Through spring, summer, and autumn, through streams, swamps, and up and down trees, a mother bear and her cub play a important game of follow the leader." Learning life skills.

Title: The Cow Who Fell In the Canal
Author: Phyllis Krasilovsky   Illustrator: Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1953
  Hendrika was a cow living on a Holland farm. She was unhappy and bored until she accidentally got into a raft and went on an adventure.

Title: Diary of a Worm
Author: Doreen Cronin,  Illustrator: Harry Bliss
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2003
"This is a diary....of a worm. Surprisingly, a worm not that different from you or me. Except he eats his homework. Oh, and his head looks a lot like his rear end.

Title: Don't Bump the Gump and Other Fantasies
Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1964
 Short poems about made-up animals.

"Title: Don't Take your Snake for a Stroll
Author: Karin Ireland     Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2003
"Mayhem ensues when a little boy takes unusual pets like a rhinoceros and a kangaroo to places usually reserved for people."

* Title: Dooby, Dooby, Moo
Author: Doreen Cronin    Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Atheneum Books, 2006
"While Farmer Brown sleeps, his animals prepare for a talent show at the county fair."

Title: Duck & Goose
Author: Tad Hills
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006
"Duck and Goose learn to work together to take care of a ball which they think is an egg."

Title: Farmer Duck
Author: Martin Waddell
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 1991
 "When a kind and hardworking duck nearly collapses from overwork, while taking care of a farm because the owner is too lazy to do so, the rest of the animals get together and chase the farmer out of town."

Title: The Finest Horse in Town
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin   Illustrator: Susan Gaber
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 1992
"Long ago, two sisters in Maine owned a remarkable gray horse named Prince, who went on to become legendary in their family."

*Title: Flip, Flap, Fly
Author: Phyllis Root    Illustrator: David Walker
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2009
A rhyming story of baby animals learning new skills.

*Title: From Head to Toe
Author and Illustrator:   Carle Eric
Publisher: Harper, 1997
Children mimic the movements of various animals.

*Title: Giddy Goat
Author: Jamie Rix       Illustrator: Lynne Chapman
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2003
  "Giddy isn't like other mountain goats who relish picnics atop The Needle, the highest, mountain around. Stand Giddy on a mountain ledge and his head starts spinning, his face turns white, and his knees turn to jelly."

* Title: Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andreae     Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1999
"Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance with all the other animals at the Jungle Dance, until he finds the right music.

*Title: A Good Day
Written and Illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2007
 "It started out as a bad day for little yellow bird, little white dog, little orange fox and little brown squirrel. Until...A discovery, and love, and luck and persistence and a different point of view changed all that."

Title: Gregory's Shadow
Author: Don Freeman
Publisher: Viking, 2000
  "Gregory Groundhog and his shadow desperately look for each other after they become separated from one another just before their annual appearance on Groundhog Day."

* Title: Harry the Dirty Dog
Author: Gene Zion    Illustrator: Margaret Bloy Graham
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1956
Harry the dog gets so dirty his own human family doesn't recognize him.

*Title: Harry and the Lady Next Door
Author: Gene Zion   Illustrator: Margaret Bloy Graham
Publisher: Barnes & Noble, 1960
 "Harry is a little white dog with black spots who has a big problem--the lady next door sings all the time and hurts poor Harry's ears."

Title: The Hat
Author and Illustrator: Jan Brett
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1997
"When Lisa hangs her woolen clothes in the sun to air them out for winter, the hedgehog, to the amusement of the other animals, ends up wearing a stocking on his head." Jan Brett is known for her beautiful and intricate drawings.

Title: Hello, Farm Animals
Author: Eileen Curran, Illustrator: June Goldsborough
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Depicts farm animals in their natural setting doing their customary activities."

Title: A Hippopotamusn't
Author: Patrick Lewis     Illustrator: Victoria Chess
Publisher: Dial Books, 1990
"More than thirty mostly humorous poems about a variety of animals."

* Title: Honey...Honey...Lion!: A Story from Africa
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2005
"After working together to obtain honey, the African honey badger always shares it with his partner, the honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson."

Title: Horton Hatches the Egg
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House, 1968
"A lazy bird talks Horton, the elephant, into sitting on her egg while she takes a long break."

Title: Huge Harold
Author: Bill Peet
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1961
  "Harold, the rabbit, grows to be huge and has a difficult time finding a place to fit in."

* Title: Hurry! Hurry!
Author: Eve Bunting   Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2007
"All the animals of the barnyard community hurry to greet their newest member, who is just pecking his way out of an egg."
   
    
Title: I Had a Cat
Author: Mona Rabun Reeves, Illustrator: Julie Downing
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1989
"The owner of a cat, dog, bird, ape, frog, elk, deer, and a multitude of other animals finds new homes for all but one."

* Title: I Love it When You Smile
Author: Sam McBratney   Illustrated by Charles Fuge
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2005
 "A grumpy little kangaroo is having a bad day until his mother finds a way to make him smile."

* Title: If You Give a Pig a Party
Author: Laura Numeroff       Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publisher: Laura Geringer Books, 2005
"One thing leads to another when you give a pig a party."

Title: If You Want to See a Caribou
Author: Phyllis Root    Illustrator: Jim Meyer
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004
  "If you really want to see a woodland caribou, you might try going to a place forgotten by time."

Title: Is This a House for Hermit Crab?
Author: Megan McDonald   Illustrator S.D. Schindler
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1990
"When hermit crab outgrows his old house he ventures out to find a new one."

Title: Kitten's First Full Moon
Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2004
  "When kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2005

*Title: Leaves
Author and Illustrator: David Ezra Stein
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007
 A young bear spends his first summer, fall and winter in the woods.

*Title: Leon and Albertine
Author and Illustrator: Christine Davenier
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1998
  "Leon the pig follows the advice of the other barnyard animals in trying to get the attention of Albertine the chicken, with whom he has fallen in love."

* Title: Library Mouse
Author and Illustrator: Daniel Kirk
Publisher: Abrams, 2007
"Sam, a shy but creative mouse who lives in a library, decides to write and illustrate his own stories which he places on the shelves with the other library books but when children find the tales, they all want to meet the author."

Title: The Mice Came in Early This Year
Author: Eleanor J. Lapp    Illustrated by David Cunningham
Publisher: Albert Whitman, 1976
  "A child observes the preparations made by his family and by the wild creatures outdoors as autumn approaches."

Title: Mites to Mastodons: A Book of Animal Poems
Author: Maxine Kumin     Illustrator: Pamela Zagrenski
Publisher: Houghton/Mifflin Books, 2006
 Poems about animals.

Title: My Bunny and Me
Author: Lindsay Barrett George
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
"A young boy describes the things he would do if the rabbit in his drawing were real"

Title: My Cat, The Silliest Cat in the World
Author: Gilles Bachelet
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2006
"An artist describes his cat, (actually an elephant) who can usually be found either sleep or eating."

Title: My Friend Rabbit
Author: Eric Rohmann
Publisher: Roaring Book Press, 2002
 "When Mouse let his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind--but when Rabbit sets out to solve a problem, even bigger problems follow." This story includes an: elephant; rhino; alligator; bear and more.

Title: Nathan's Wish: A story about cerebral palsy
Author: Laurie Lears     Illustrator: Stacey Schuett
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2005
"A boy with cerebral palsy helps out at a raptor rehabilitation center and is inspired himself when an owl that cannot fly finds another purpose in life."

* Title: Never, Ever Shout at the Zoo
Author: Karma Wilson   Illustrator: Doug Cushman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
"Rhyming text depicts the chaos caused by shouting at the zoo."

Title: Noah's Ark
Illustrator:  Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1977
 A wordless story of the traditional, biblical version of Noah's Ark  Caldecott Award Winner, 1978

Title: Now I know Animals at Night
Author: Sharon Peters,  Illustrated by Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1983
"Text and illustrations describe various nocturnal animals and their habits."

Title: Now I know Turtles
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig.   Illustrator: Kathie Kelleher
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce the turtle, the animal that carries its home on its back."

Title: Nurse Lugton's Curtain
Written by Virginia Woolf     Illustrator: Julie Vivas
Publisher: Harcourt Books, 2004 (redesigned edition)
  "As Nurse Lugton dozes, the animals on the patterned curtain she is sewing come alive."

* Title: One Little Mouse
Author: Dori Chaconas   Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2002
"Woodland animals, from two moles to ten opossums, offer to share their homes with a little mouse who is dissatisfied with his own."

Title: One Monday
Author: Amy Huntington
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2001
"Over the course of a week, the wind plays havoc all around Annabelle's farm." Farm animals play a big part in the book.

Title: Owl Moon
Author: Jane Yolen   Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1987
"On a winter's night under a full moon, father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl." Caldecott Award Winner, 1988

* Title: "Paddle," Said the Swan
Author: Gloria Damen
Publisher: Atheneum, 1989
  "Before falling asleep, a baby hears a variety of animal sounds."

Title: Princess Dinosaur
Author: Jill Kastner
Publisher: Greenwillow, 2001
"Princess Dinosaur has fun playing with the rest of the toys until Spots the dog comes and carries her off to an outdoor adventure."

Title: Professor Noah's Spaceship
Author: Brian Wildsmith
Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1980
The forest the animals live in is becoming too polluted to stay. The animals gather together and find Professor Noah and he helps them with his spaceship.

*Title: Raccoon Tune
Author: Nancy Shaw    Illustrator: Howard Fine
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2003
 "A family of raccoons prowls around a neighborhood making a ruckus until they find supper." A rhyming story.

* Title: Sam Who Never Forgets
Author: Eve Rice
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1977
Sam feeds the zoo animals everyday at 3 o'clock but elephant is afraid that Sam has forgotten him.

*Title: Sneaky Weasel
Author and Illustrator Hannah Shaw
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008
"A sneaky weasel finds that his tricks have left him with plenty of power, a swimming pool full of money, and absolutely no friends. Can this very bad weasel learn how to be good? (But, you know not sickeninlgy good)."

Title: So Many Bunnies: a bedtime, abc, counting book
Author: Rick Walton    Illustrator: Paige Miglio
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books/ Marrow,  1998
"Old Mother Rabbit's twenty-six children, each named for a letter of the alphabet, are loving put to bed."

Title: Spots
Author: Carolyn Lesser    Illustrator: Laura Regan
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. 1999
"Spotted animals from around the world, including a leopard ray, ringed seals, reticulated giraffes, and tundra butterflies. It also introduces the numbers from one to ten."

Title: Too Big to Dance
Author: Doug Anderson     Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Publisher: Handprint Books, 2004
"Eloise, the gentle zebra, was just a bit too big to join in the manning down at the juke joint. That's the same juke joint where Corndog Willie and his Slackjaws were playing up a storm. Of course, it will be up to gracious Cecil, the alligator, and Woo, the considerate armadillo, to set matters right."

Title: The Tortoise and the Hare
Adapted by Janet Stevens
Publisher: Holiday House, 1984
   "Recounts the race between the boastful hare and the persevering tortoise."  An Aesop Fable

Title: The Travels of Babar
Author: Jean De Brunhoff
Originally Published by Random House in 1934 and now distributed in the United states by Alfred A. Knopf, 1962
Babar, the King of the Elephants and his new wife Céleste leave on their wedding trip and have a great adventure.

Title: The Trouble with Elephants
Author and Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.,  1988
"A little girl describes the various problems with elephants, but decides the real trouble with elephants is that you can't help but love them."

* Title: Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond
Author and Illustrator: Cathryn Falwell
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
"As they are startled by the activities of other nearby creatures, the number of turtles on a log in a pond decreases from ten to one."

Title: The Ugly Duckling
Author: Hans Christian Anderson      Adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: Scholastic, 1999
  A baby swan ends up being hatched in a duck's nest. He is teased, bullied and called ugly by all the other ducks. He spends a miserable year by himself and then finds out the next spring that he has grown into a beautiful adult swan.

Title: The Very Busy Spider
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1984
" The farm animals try to divert a busy spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness."

* Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1969
  Describes the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It also covers the days of the week and counting.

* Title: What do you do with a Kangaroo?
Author and Illustrator: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Scholastic, 1973
"If a bossy kangaroo jumped through your window AND started telling you what to do AND refused to go away AND had all kinds of other animals joining him...what would you do"  A wonderful rhythm to the words.

* Title: What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
Author: Steve Jenkins      Illustrator: Robin Page
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003
This book talks about what various animals do with different parts of their bodies, such as mouths, feet, and eyes.

Title: What is a fish
Author: David Eastman,  Illustrator: Lynn Sweat
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
Brief text covering the basic facts about fish.

Title: What's Under the Ocean
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig,   Illustrator: Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce some animals and plants that live in the ocean."

* Title: When Sheep Sleep
Author: Laura Joffe Numeroff Illustrator: David McPhail
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2006
"Rhyming text suggests other options when one tries to count sheep but discovers that they are all asleep."

*Title: Where's My Teddy?
Author: Jez Alborough
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 1992
A small boy named Eddie goes looking in the woods for his teddy bear so he can go to bed. He meets up with a big bear with a similar problem.

* Title: Wild About Books
Author: Judy Sierra     Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004
  "A librarian named Molly McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake."

* Title: Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?
Authors: Bonnie Lass & Philemon Sturges   Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2000
"A skunk tries to find which of his animal friends stole the cookies."

*Title: You're All My Favorites
Author: Sam McBratney   Illustrator: Anita Jeram
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2004
  "Once upon a time, a Mommy Bear and a Daddy Bear told their three little cubs that they were the best baby bears in the whole wide world. But the time came when each of the siblings began to wonder. They couldn't all be the best They couldn't all be favorites. Or could they?"

back to subjects
        

April Fool's Day

* Title: April Foolishness
Author: Teresa Bateman    Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 2004
"Grandma and Grandpa and the grandkids enjoy April Fool's Day on the farm."

back to subjects

Bedtime        

Title: Billy's Big-Boy Bed
Author: Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Publisher: A Whispering Coyote Book
"As Billy gets too big for his crib, his parents buy him a new bed, but Billy is not sure he is ready for the change, until his favorite teddy bear ends up sleeping in the new bed."

Title:  A Book of Sleep
Author and Illustrator Il Sung Na
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007
Owl, who stays awake all night, visits the animals that are sleeping.

Title: Can't Sleep
Author: Christopher Raschka
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1995
"The moon comforts bedtime fears."

*Title: Go Away, Big Green Monster
Author and Illustrator: Ed Emberley
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1992
"Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to held a child control nighttime fears of monsters."

Title: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!
Author and Illustrator: Diane deGroat
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2002
 "Gilbert's day camp is going on an overnight trip, and Gilbert expects nothing but fun. But when loudmouthed Lewis tells him about the Camp Hi-Dee-Ho ghost, he can't help but feel a little nervous. And when he has to go outside in the middle of the night, it looks like he may have to confront his fears face-to-face."

*Title: A Good Night Walk
Author and Illustrator: Elisha Cooper
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2005
  "A parent takes his/her child on a journey through a neighborhood and shown the sights, sounds, and smells as evening approaches."

*Title: The House in the Night
Author: Susan Marie Swanson     Illustrator: Beth Krommes
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008
"Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing---a key, a bed, a book, a light, the moon---this timeless good night book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe."

* Title: I Love You with All My Heart
Author: Noris Kern
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1998
"When Caribou tells Polo that his mother loves him with all her heart, Polo is curious. How is this possible? He asks several of his friends how their mothers love them."

Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author and Illustrator Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1970
Mickey has an adventure when to goes to bed. 

*Title: Llama, Llama, Red Pajama
Author and Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Viking, 2005
"At bedtime, a little llama worries after his mother puts him to bed and goes downstairs."

Title: Oh No, Not Ghosts
Author: Richard Michelson      Illustrator: Adam McCauley
Publisher: Harcourt, 2006
  "An older brother "reassures" his younger sister abut all the creatures hat she imagines lurking in the dark bedroom, but his words only scare her more."

* Title: "Paddle," Said the Swan
Author: Gloria Damen
Publisher: Atheneum, 1989
  "Before falling asleep, a baby hears a variety of animal sounds."

Title: So Many Bunnies: a bedtime, abc, counting book
Author: Rick Walton    Illustrator: Paige Miglio
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books/ Marrow,  1998
"Old Mother Rabbit's twenty-six children, each named for a letter of the alphabet, are loving put to bed."

Title: Song of Night: It's time to go to bed
Author: Nakamura, Katherine Riley   Illustrator: Linnea Riley
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press, 2002
"Award-winning artist Linnea Riley and her daughter Katie present a community of bunnies, squirrels, ducks, and bears who are lovingly being put to bed."

Title: When Sheep Sleep
Author: Laura Joffe Numeroff     Illustrator: David McPhail
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2006
"Rhyming text suggests other options when one tries to count sheep but discovers that they are all asleep."

* Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendack
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1984,1963
"A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king." Caldecott Award Winner, 1964

*Title: Where's My Teddy?
Author: Jez Alborough
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 1992
A small boy named Eddie goes looking in the woods for his teddy bear so he can go to bed. He meets up with a big bear with a similar problem.

back to subjects

Beginning Readers

Title: Amelia Bedelia
Author: Peggy Parish      Illustrator: Fritz Siebel
Publisher: Barnes & Noble, 1963
  "Meet Amelia Bedelia, the hardworking, charming housekeeper who does exactly what the Rogers family asks her to. When she's told to "draw the drapes," Amelia Bedelia gets out her pad and pencil."

Title: Birthday Surprise
Author: Louis Sabin    Illustrator: John Magine
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1981
"Sammy is sad when no one seems to remember his birthday."

Title: Emma's Yucky Brother
Author: Jean Little  Illustrator: Jennifer Plecas
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001
"Emma finds out how hard it is to be a big sister when her family adopts a four-year-old boy named Max."

*Title: Harry and the Lady Next Door
Author: Gene Zion   Illustrator: Margaret Bloy Graham
Publisher: Barnes & Noble, 1960
 "Harry is a little white dog with black spots who has a big problem--the lady next door sings all the time and hurts poor Harry's ears."

Title: Here Comes Jack Frost
Author: Sharon Peters   Illustrator: Eulala Connor
Publisher: Troll Associates,  1981
"When the wind blows on a cold night, Jack Frost goes to work."

Title: Perrywinkle's Magic Match
Author: Ross Martin Madsen    Illustrator: Dirk Zimmer
Publisher: Dial Books, 1997
  "Nevermore, the pet crow, comments as Perrywinkle and Andromeda compete for superiority in magic until they learn that the best way is to do it together."

Title: Pussycat Kites
Author: Sharon Peters,   Illustrator: Susan T. Hall
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Peter, a cat, has a wonderful time flying his kite one windy day until a tree gets in the way."

back to subjects

Behavior

* Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Author: Judith Viorst
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1972
 "He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV."

Title: Cookies: Bit Size Life Lessons
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal    illustrated by Jane Dyer
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2006
  "A new kind of dictionary, one that defines mysteries such as "fair" and "unfair" and what it really means to "cooperate."

Title: Duck & Goose
Author: Tad Hills
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006
"Duck and Goose learn to work together to take care of a ball which they think is an egg."

Title: Farmer Duck
Author: Martin Waddell
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 1991
 "When a kind and hardworking duck nearly collapses from overwork, while taking care of a farm because the owner is too lazy to do so, the rest of the animals get together and chase the farmer out of town."

Title: First Day in Grapes
Author: L. King Perez       Illustrator: Robert Casilla
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2002
  "When Chico starts the third grade after his migrant family moves to begin harvesting California grapes, he finds that self confidence and math skills help him cope with the first day of school."

Title: Federico and the Magi's Gift
Author and Illustrator:  Beatriz Vidal
Publisher: Random House, 2004
 "Because he has misbehaved, four-year-old Federico is afraid the three kings will not bring the toy horse he asked them for and, unable to sleep, he goes outside to await their arrival."

Title: Hunter's Best Friend at School
Author: Laura Malone Elliott      Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002
  "Hunter, the raccoon, is not sure what he should do when his best friend Stripe starts acting up a school."

*Title: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Author and Illustrator: Diane de Groat
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2003
"Gilbert cannot tell a lie: he's nervous. He's the star in a classroom play about George Washington and the cherry tree, but what if he makes a mistake? In this wise and funny tale of truth and lies (and butterflies), Gilbert finds out that practicing his lines is easier than practicing honesty--and that telling the truth is different from recognizing it."

*Title: Fancy Nancy, Bonjour, Butterfly
Author: Jane O'Connor    Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
"Nancy is furious when she cannot go to her friend Bree's butterfly-themed birthday party, but her family's outing might just be extraordinary enough to make her feel better."

*Title: Llama Llama Mad at Mamma
Author and Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2007
"A young llama wants to play but must go shopping with his mother instead, and so he gets angry and makes a mess at the store."

*Title: Martha Doesn't Say Sorry!
Author: Samantha Berger    Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2009
"Young Martha learns that she must apologize for her bad behavior if she wants people to cooperate with her."

Title: The Pied Piper
Retold by Tom DeFalco     Illustrator: Joe Ewers
Publisher: Reader's Digest, 2004
 Mice invade a village and the Pied Piper is promised a bag of gold to make the mice leave but when he does the mayor refuses to keep his promise.

*Title: Princess K.I.M. and the Lie that Grew
Author and Illustrator:  Maryann Gocca-Leffler
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2009
"After new girl Kim tells her classmates she is from a royal family, her lie grows and grows."

Title: The Rainbow Fish
Author: Marcus Pfsister   Translated by: Alison James
Publisher: NorthSouth Books, 1992
"The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship.

*Title: Sneaky Weasel
Author and Illustrator Hannah Shaw
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008
"A sneaky weasel finds that his tricks have left him with plenty of power, a swimming pool full of money, and absolutely no friends. Can this very bad weasel learn how to be good? (But, you know not sickeninlgy good)."

Title: So, You Want to Be President
Author: Judith St. George      Illustrator: David Small
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2000
 "Presents an assortment of facts abut the qualifications and characteristics of U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton." Caldecott Award Winner, 2001

Title: Zen Shorts
Author: Jon J. Muth
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2005
"When Stillwater the bear moves into the neighborhood, the stories he tells to three siblings teach them to look at the world in new ways." These stories are based on Zen short meditations.

Bilingual

Title: Carlos and the Skunk
Author: Jan Romero Stevens,  Illustrator Jeanne Arnold
Publisher: Rising Moon
In both Spanish and English. Carlos wants to impress a girl he likes and decides to do it by capturing a skunk. He's pretty sure he knows how.

Title: It Doesn't have to be this way: a barrio story
Author: Luis J. Rodriguez  Illustrator;  Daniel Galvez
Publisher: Children's Book Press, 1999
In both Spanish and English. "A compelling tale of a young boy's encounter with the world of gangs."

*Title: Just in Case
Author and Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2008
"As Senor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents but with the hope of Zelmiro the Ghost, he find the best gift of all." The alphabetical words are in Spanish.

Title: Manana, Iguana
Author: Ann Whitford Paul    Illustrator: Ethan Long
Publisher: Scholastic, 2005
An amusing story written in English and introducing the Spanish words for the days of the week and other words.

Title: Moon Rope
Author: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992
  "An adaptation of the Peruvian folktale in which Fox and Mole try to climb to the moon on a rope woven of grass."

Title: The Park Bench
Author: Fumiko Takeshita   Illustrator: Mamour Suzuki
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 1988
In both Japanese and English "All through the sunny day the white bench in the park provides pleasure for the many people who come by, from the old man taking a walk to the children playing in the park."

Title: Shake It, Morena! and other Folklore from Puerto Rico
Compiled by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand     Illustrator: Lulu Delacre
Publisher: Millbrook Press, 2002
An illustrated collection of games, songs, traditions, and stories from Puerto Rico in both English and Spanish.

Title: Siesta
Author: Ginger Foglesong Guy     Illustrator: Rene King Moreno
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2005
"A brother and sister, and their teddy bear go through the house gathering items they will need for their siesta in the back yard." The story also emphasizes colors and is written in Spanish and English.

Back to subjects
   
     .

Birthday

Title: Birthday Surprise
Author: Louis Sabin    Illustrator: John Magine
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1981
"Sammy is sad when no one seems to remember his birthday."

Title: Bunny Cakes
Author: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Dial, 1997
"Max makes an earthworm cake for Grandma's birthday and helps Ruby with her angel surprise cake. At the store, the grocer can't read all of the shopping list until Max solves the problem by drawing pictures."

Title: Corduroy Lost and Found
Author: Barbara G. Hennessy    Illustrator: Jody Wheeler
Publisher: Viking, Penguin Group, 2006
 "Corduroy the teddy bear sets out one night to find a birthday present for his owner, Lisa, but soon realizes that he cannot find his way home."

Title: Happy Birthday, America
Author: Chall, Marsha Wilson   Illustrator: Guy Porfirio
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2000
"Joined by an army of aunts, uncles, and cousins, eight-year-old Kay and her family celebrate the Fourth of July."

Title: It's My Birthday
Author: Pat Hutchins
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1999
"Billy is reluctant to share his birthday presents with the other little monsters, but then something happens to make him change his mind."

Title: Jimmy's Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash
Author: Trinka Hakes Noble,   Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: Dial Books, 1989
"Jimmy's birthday party a SeaLand turns out to be a big splash when everyone ends up in a big tank."

*Title: Just in Case
Author and Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2008
"As Senor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents but with the hope of Zelmiro the Ghost, he find the best gift of all." The alphabetical words are in Spanish.

Title:  A Secret for Grandmother's Birthday
Author: Franz Brandenberg,  Illustrator: Aliki
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1975
"A brother and sister cat plan the secret gifts they will give grandmother cat for her birthday."

Title: Stina's Visit
Author and Illustrator: Lena Anderson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1989
"Stina and her grandfather visit an old sailor on his birthday."

back to subjects

Books

* Title: Bats at the Library
Author and Illustrator: Brian Lies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2008
 "Bored with another normal, inky evening, bats discover an open library window and fly in to enjoy the photocopier, water fountain, and especially the books and stories found there."

Title: The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq
Author and Illustrator: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Harcourt, 2005
  "Alia Muhammad Baker is the librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand book within it--will be destroyed forever." This story tells how she saved most of the books.

* Title: Library Mouse
Author and Illustrator: Daniel Kirk
Publisher: Abrams, 2007
"Sam, a shy but creative mouse who lives in a library, decides to write and illustrate his own stories which he places on the shelves with the other library books but when children find the tales, they all want to meet the author."

Title: Read All About It
Author: Laura Bush  and Jenna Bush     
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
 "Tyrone rules the school! He's king of the monkey bars, a math machine, and a science whiz. The only thing he doesn't like about school is reading. Books are so boring! But when strange visitors start dropping by the classroom for story hour, Tyrone discovers there's more to books than just words on pages."

* Title: Wild About Books
Author: Judy Sierra     Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004
  "A librarian named Molly McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake."

back to subjects

Christmas

Title: American Christmas
Author: Diane Goode
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 1990
A collection of American poems, songs, and stories with a Christmas theme.

Title: The Christmas Gift
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
The mouse family gets ready and then celebrates Christmas. A wordless story.

Title: Federico and the Magi's Gift
Author and Illustrator:  Beatriz Vidal
Publisher: Random House, 2004
 "Because he has misbehaved, four-year-old Federico is afraid the three kings will not bring the toy horse he asked them for and, unable to sleep, he goes outside to await their arrival."

Title: The Last Chimney of Christmas Eve
Author: Linda Oatman High      Illustrator: Kestutis Dasparavicius
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2001
"After Nicholas, a chimney sweep, receives a red furry coat, he returns to the rooftops to pass on the kindness he was given."

Title: Little Donkey's Wish
Author: Udo Weigelt     Illustrator: Pirkko Vainio
Publisher: North-South Books, 2005
Josie, the youngest and smallest donkey is so little that sometimes the other teased her and said that she might not even be a real donkey, but Santa picks her over all the other donkeys to be a replacement for an ill reindeer."

Title: The Little Reindeer
Author: Michael Foreman
Publisher: Dial Books, 1997
  "A young reindeer becomes a surprise Christmas gift for a city boy."

Title: Noel's Christmas Secret
Author: Grégoire Solotareff
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1988
One version of how a young boy became Santa Claus.

 
Title: The Night Before Christmas
Author: Clement Clarke Moore,  Illustrator: Wendy Watson
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1990
A well known poem about Santa Claus.
        
*
Title: The Polar Express
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1985
"A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus." Caldecott Award Winner, 1986

Title: The Secret Keeper
Author: Anna Grossnickle Hines
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1990
   "Unhappy to be the only one in his house without Christmas secrets, Joshua is relieved when Grandma comes and helps him have some secrets of his own."

Title: Silver Packages; An Appalachian Christmas Story
Author: Cynthia Rylant       Illustrator: Chris K. Soentpiet
Publisher: Richard Jackson, 1987
"Every year at Christmas, a rich man rides a train through Appalachia and throws gifts to the poor children who are waiting, in order to repay a debt he owes the people who live there."

Title: Stick Man
Author: Julia Donaldson      Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2008
Stick man becomes separated from his stick family and has a long journey, but just when things are really looking bad Santa Claus helps him out.

Title: Too Many Tamales!
Author: Gary Soto     Illustrator: Ed Martinez
Publisher: Putnam, 1993
  "Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing."

back to subjects
       

Cleanliness

Title: Clean your Room, Harvey Moon!
Author: Pat Cummings
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 1991
"Harvey tackles a big job, cleaning his room."

* Title: Harry the Dirty Dog
Author: Gene Zion    Illustrator: Margaret Bloy Graham
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1956
Harry the dog gets so dirty his own human family doesn't recognize him.

* Title: I'm Dirty!
Author: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2006
A backhoe loader is reporting for work and he loves his dirty job.
 

Title: What's With This Room?
Author: Tom Lichtenheld
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2005
"A discussion between a boy and his parents about a bedroom, that is so dirty he would 'have to clean up just to call it a mess,' ends with a blast."

 

back to subjects
       

Clothing

Title: Crazy Clothes
Author: Niki Yektai  Illustrated by Sucie Stevenson
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1988
"When Patrick tries to show his mother how well he can dress himself, his clothes become contrary and insist on going on the wrong parts of his body"

Title: The Hat
Author and Illustrator: Jan Brett
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1997
"When Lisa hangs her woolen clothes in the sun to air them out for winter, the hedgehog, to the amusement of the other animals, ends up wearing a stocking on his head." Jan Brett is known for her beautiful and intricate drawings.

Title: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Author and Illustrator: Simms Taback
Publisher: Viking, 1999
 "A very old overcoat is recycled numerous times into a variety of garments."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2000

Title: Just My Size
Author: May Garelick    Illustrator: William Pène du Bois
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1990
"A little girl reminisces about the beautiful coat she owned, which as she grew became, in turn, a jacket, a vest and a cap, a knapsack, and finally a beautiful coat for her doll."

Title: Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope
Author: Trudy Krishner    Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 1992
Kathy learns to face her cancer and the resulting loss of hair with courage and humor and learns to love hats.

Title: The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat
Author: Catherine Ann Cullen      Illustrator: David Christiana
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co., 2001
  "The unusual buttons from a young girl's favorite coat provide magical assistance to a giant, a swan, some sailors, a wizard, some rabbits, and a elf."

Title: Old Jake's Skirts
Author: C. Anne Scott     Illustrator: David Slonim
Publisher: Rising Moon, 1998
"A reclusive pumpkin farmer finds an abandoned steamer trunk filled with cotton calico skirts which he eventually uses around the house in ways which seem to bring him luck."

back to subjects

Colors

* Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Author: Bill Martin Jr.    Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Henry Holt, 1967
  This book talks about animals and colors.

Title: Chidi Only Likes Blue: An African Book of Colors
Author: Ifeoma Onyefulu
Publisher: Cobblehill Books, 1997
Nneka teaches her little brother about all the other colors there are besides blue. She does this by showing him things in their village so the story also shows a different way of life.

Title: My Many Colored Days
Author: Dr. Suess    Paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996
"This rhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turn is associated with specific emotions."

Title: Siesta
Author: Ginger Foglesong Guy     Illustrator: Rene King Moreno
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2005
"A brother and sister, and their teddy bear go through the house gathering items they will need for their siesta in the back yard." The story also emphasizes colors and is written in Spanish and English.


back to subjects

Conservation

Title: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
Author:
A Message from Chief Seattle as told by Susan Jeffers   Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Dial Books, 1991
"A Suquamish Indian chief describes his people's respect and love for the earth, and concerns for its destruction."

Title: The Tin Forest
Author: Helen Ward   Illustrator: Wayne Anderson
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 2001
"In the middle of a windswept wasteland full of discarded scrap metal lives a sad and lonely old man. In spite of his gloomy surroundings, he dreams every night of a lively forest full of birds and animals. When he finds a broken light fixture that looks like a flower, an idea begins to grow in his mind..."

back to subjects

Counting

Title: The Bunnies' Trip
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2008
Author: Lezlie Evans    Illustrator: Kay Sproat Chorao
The bunny family gets ready to take a vacation and visit family.

Title: Counting in the Garden
Author: Kim Parker  
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2005
"Invites the reader to count the inhabitants of a garden, from one to ten, such as four bunnies and nine inchworms."

Title: Cuenta Los Insectos
Author: Jerry Pallotta     Illustrator: Ralph Masiello
Publisher: Charlesbridge, 1992
A counting book of insects. This book is in Spanish.

Title: Gator Pie
Author: Louise Mathews,   Illustrator, Jeni Bassett
Publisher: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1979
A story that talks about fractions.

Title: Give the Dog a Bone
Adapted and illustrated by: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2000
   A silly version of Nick-Nack paddywhack, give the dog a bone.

* Title: I'm Dirty!
Author: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2006
A backhoe loader is reporting for work and he loves his dirty job.

Title: In Window Eight, the Moon is Late
Author and Illustrator: Diane Worfolk Allison
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 1988
"At the end of a summer day a little girls goes through the house saying good-night to the various members of her family." The book also involves some counting and the summer season.

*Title: Max Counts His Chickens
Author and Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Viking, 2007
"Ruby finds one in the dollhouse, another in the soap dish, one more under her pillow. Soon Ruby can count ten chicks in her basket. Max has none. But count on Max to have the last laugh."

Title: One Dragon's Dream
Author: Peter Pavy
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1978
"The reader can count items from 1 to 10 included in the dragon's dream."

* Title: One Little Mouse
Author: Dori Chaconas   Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2002
"Woodland animals, from two moles to ten opossums, offer to share their homes with a little mouse who is dissatisfied with his own."

Title: One, Two, Three, and Four. No More?
Author: Catherine Gray   Illustrator: Marissa Moss
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1988
"Twenty-two simple, rhyming verses depict animals who are acting out a series of arithmetical relationships."

* Title: Raindrop, Plop
Author: Wendy Cheyette Lewison     Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Viking, 2004
   "A young girl and her dog find many things to count on a rainy day, both as they play outside and after they come home to a warm, dry house."

Title: So Many Bunnies: a bedtime, abc, counting book
Author: Rick Walton    Illustrator: Paige Miglio
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books/ Marrow,  1998
"Old Mother Rabbit's twenty-six children, each named for a letter of the alphabet, are loving put to bed."

Title: Spots
Author: Carolyn Lesser    Illustrator: Laura Regan
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. 1999
"Spotted animals from around the world, including a leopard ray, ringed seals, reticulated giraffes, and tundra butterflies. It also introduces the numbers from one to ten."

* Title: Ten Little Hippos: a counting book
Author: Bobette McCarthy
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1992
"The mishaps of a troupe of dancing hippos give the reader the opportunity to count down from ten to one."

Title: Ten Potatoes in a Pot - And other Counting Rhymes
Selected by Michael Jay Katz    Illlustrator: June Otani
Publisher: Harper and Row Junior Books, 1990
"A collection of traditional counting rhymes, including both popular and little-known verses."

Title: Tickle-Toe Rhymes
Author: Joan Knight    Illustrator: John Wallner
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1989
Thirteen rhymes based on "This Little Pig Went to Market" which can be used to learn how to count up to five.

* Title: Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond
Author and Illustrator: Cathryn Falwell
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
"As they are startled by the activities of other nearby creatures, the number of turtles on a log in a pond decreases from ten to one."

* Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1969
  Describes the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It also covers the days of the week and counting.

*Title: Waking Up Wendell
Author: April Stevens    Illustrator: Tad Hills
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007
  "Early in the morning a bird begins to sing at #1 Fish Street, waking the man next door and his dog, and before long, as one noise leads to another everyone on the street is awake."

Back to subjects

Courage

Title: Becky the Brave: A Story About Epilepsy
Author: Laurie Lears        Illustrator: Gail Piazza
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2002
"Nothing seems to scare Sarah's big sister Becky, until having an epileptic seizure makes her reluctant to return to school, and so Sarah summons her own courage to explain the disease to the other students."

Title: First Day in Grapes
Author: L. King Perez       Illustrator: Robert Casilla
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2002
  "When Chico starts the third grade after his migrant family moves to begin harvesting California grapes, he finds that self confidence and math skills help him cope with the first day of school."

*Title: Giddy Goat
Author: Jamie Rix       Illustrator: Lynne Chapman
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2003
  "Giddy isn't like other mountain goats who relish picnics atop The Needle, the highest, mountain around. Stand Giddy on a mountain ledge and his head starts spinning, his face turns white, and his knees turn to jelly."

Title: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!
Author and Illustrator: Diane deGroat
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2002
 "Gilbert's day camp is going on an overnight trip, and Gilbert expects nothing but fun. But when loudmouthed Lewis tells him about the Camp Hi-Dee-Ho ghost, he can't help but feel a little nervous. And when he has to go outside in the middle of the night, it looks like he may have to confront his fears face-to-face."

Title: Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope
Author: Trudy Krishner    Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 1992
Kathy learns to face her cancer and the resulting loss of hair with courage and humor.

Title: The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq
Author and Illustrator: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Harcourt, 2005
  "Alia Muhammad Baker is the librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand book within it--will be destroyed forever." This story tells how she saved most of the books.

*Title: The Littlest Dinosaur
Author and Illustrator: Michael Foreman
Publisher: Walker & Company, 2008
"The littlest dinosaur thinks he is too small to do much of anything until his family and neighbors are in trouble and need his help."  

*Title: The Littlest Dinosaur's Big Adventure
Author and Illustrator:  Michael Foreman
Publisher: Walker & Company, 2009
"The littlest dinosaur discovers the advantages of being small as he frolics among the lily pads with his new frog friends, and then bravely fins his way home after getting lost in the woods."

Title: Mirette on the High Wire
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Putnam & Grosset Group, 1997
"Mirette learns tightrope walking from Monsieur Bellini, a guest in her mother's boardinghouse, not knowing that he is a celebrated tightrope artist who has withdrawn from performing because of fear." Caldecott Award Winner, 1993

*Title: Peep: A Little Book About Taking a Leap
Author:  Maria Van Lieshout
Publisher: MacMillan, 2009
Peep is out for a walk with his mother and siblings when he comes to a curb. All his siblings leap off the curb easily but Peep is frightened.

Title: The Sissy Duckling
Author: Harvey Fierstein   Illustator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002
  "Elmer the duck is teased because he is different, but he proves himself by not only surviving the winter, but also saving his papa."

* Title: Swimmy
Author: Leo Lionno
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963
A Caldecott Honor Book. "In this Lionni classic, Swimmy, a small orphaned fish, shows his friends how--with ingenuity and hard work--they can conquer their fears and overcome the dangers of the wet world."

*Title: There are Monsters Everywhere
Author and Illustrator: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Dial Books, 2005
"Every kid knows that monsters like to lurk in shadowy corners and other hiding places around the house. If only there were a way to scare them off once and for all. Well, this time our young hero has a plan, and it just may be foolproof."

Back to subjects

Cultural Diversity     

* Title: And Tango Makes Three
Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell         Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005
"At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches."

Title: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions
Author: Margaret Musgrove     Illustrators: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial, 1976
"Explains some traditions and customs of twenty-six African tribes beginning with the letters from A to Z." Caldecott Award Winner, 1977

Title: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
A Message from Chief Seattle as told by Susan Jeffers   Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Dial Books
"A Suquamish Indian chief describes his people's respect and love for the earth, and concerns for its destruction."

Title: Chidi Only Likes Blue: An African Book of Colors
Author: Ifeoma Onyefulu
Publisher: Cobblehill Books, 1997
Nneka teaches her little brother about all the other colors there are besides blue. She does this by showing him things in their village so the story also shows a different way of life.

Title: Does a Seal Smile?
Author: Fred Ehrlich, M.D.      Illustrator: Emily Bolam
Publisher: Blue Apple Books, 2006
The story begins with asking if animals smile and goes on to talking about how people around the world greet each other.

Title: First Day in Grapes
Author: L. King Perez       Illustrator: Robert Casilla
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2002
  "When Chico starts the third grade after his migrant family moves to begin harvesting California grapes, he finds that self confidence and math skills help him cope with the first day of school."

Title: Frida
Author: Jonah Winter    Illustrator: Ana Juan
Publisher: Levine Books, 2002
A picture book biography and inspirational story of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Title: Gilberto and the Wind
Author: Marie Hall Ets
Publisher: Viking, 1963
Gilberto plays with and observes the wind.

Title: Grandfather's Journey
Author: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993
"A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries." Caldecott Award Winner, 1994

Title:  The Gullywasher
Author & Illustrator: Joyce Rossi   Publisher: Northland Pub., 1996      
"Leticia's grandfather, who was a vaquero as a young man, provides some fanciful explanations for how he got his wrinkles, white hair, round belly and stooped frame.

Title: How My Parents learned to Eat
Author Ina R. Friedman    Illustrator: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984
"An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating."

Title: It Doesn't have to be this way: a barrio story
Author: Luis J. Rodriguez  Illustrator;  Daniel Galvez
Publisher: Children's Book Press, 1999
In both Spanish and English. "A compelling tale of a young boy's encounter with the world of gangs."

*Title: Just in Case
Author and Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2008
"As Senor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents but with the hope of Zelmiro the Ghost, he find the best gift of all." The alphabetical words are in Spanish.

Title: The Keeping Quilt
Author: Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Simon and Schuster, 1988
"A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith"

Title: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Author and Illustrator: Simms Taback
Publisher: Viking, 1999
 "A very old overcoat is recycled numerous times into a variety of garments."  This story reflects a Jewish cultural background.  Caldecott Award Winner, 2000

Title: Less than half, more than whole
Author: Kathleen Lacapa,   Illustrator: Michael Lacapa
Publisher: Northland Publishing, 1994
Tony discovers that he is half Indian and half White. Through visiting his Indian Grandfather, Tony learns that he is not less than half, but is more than whole.

Title: The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq
Author and Illustrator: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Harcourt, 2005
  "Alia Muhammad Baker is the librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand book within it--will be destroyed forever." This story tells how she saved most of the books.

Title: Mama, Do You Love Me?
Author: Barbara M. Joosse    Illustrator: Barbara Lavallee
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1991
  "A child living in the Arctic learns that a mother's love in unconditional."

Title: My Nose, Your Nose
Author: Melanie Walsh
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2002
"Come and join in this celebration of all our unique, funny parts. And see how we're similar too!"

Title: Nene and the Horrible Math Monster
Author: Maria Villanueva      Illustrator: Ria Unson
Publisher: Polychrome Books, 1993
"Nene, a Filipino American girl, confronts the model minority myth that all Asians excel at mathematics, and in doing so, overcomes her fears."

*Title: On Mother's Lap
Author: Ann Herbert Scott     Illustrator: Glo Coalson
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1992
"A small Eskimo boy discovers that Mother's lap is a very special place with room for everyone."

Title: Our Home is the Sea
Author: Riki Levinson     Illustrator: Dennis Luzak
Publisher: E. P. Dutton, 1988
"A Chinese boy hurries home from school to his family's houseboat in Hong Kong harbor. It is the end of the school year, and he is anxious to join his father and grandfather in their family profession, fishing."

Title: The Park Bench
Author: Fumiko Takeshita   Illustrator: Mamour Suzuki
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 1988
In both Japanese and English "All through the sunny day the white bench in the park provides pleasure for the many people who come by, from the old man taking a walk to the children playing in the park."

Title: Shake It, Morena! and other Folklore from Puerto Rico
Compiled by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand     Illustrator: Lulu Delacre
Publisher: Millbrook Press, 2002
An illustrated collection of games, songs, traditions, and stories from Puerto Rico in both English and Spanish.

 Title: Smoky Night
Author: Eve Bunting,  Illustrator: David Diaz
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1994
"When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the value of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality." Caldecott Award Winner, 1995

* Title: Tikki Tikki Tembo
Retold by Arlene Mosel    Illustrator: Blair Lent
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1968
A re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale about the dangers of giving first born sons long names.

Title: Too Many Tamales!
Author: Gary Soto     Illustrator: Ed Martinez
Publisher: Putnam, 1993
  "Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing."

Title: When the Pigs Took Over
Author: Arthur Dorros     Illustrator: Diane Grenseid
Publisher: Dutton's Children's Books, 2002
"This is a riotous tale of two brothers--one small but enormously sensible, one big but a little crazy--told with the warmth and sprinkling of Spanish found in Arthur Dorro's other books.

*Title: Wabi Sabi
Author: Mark Reibstein    Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2008
"Wabi Sabi, a cat living in the city of Kyoto, learns about the Japanese concept of beauty through simplicity as she asks various animals she meets about the meaning of her name." Includes Haiku.
        

back to subjects

Dancing

*Title: Angelina at the Palace
Author: Katharine Holabird    Illustrator: Helen Craig
Publisher: Viking, 2005
Angelina, the mouse, goes with her ballet dance instructor to the castle to teach the three princesses a ballet. The ballet instructor gets the flu and Angelina must teach the dance by herself.

* Title: Barn Dance!
Author: Bill Martin Jr., Illustrator: John Archambault
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1986
While a boy tries to sleep he hears square dance music and follows it out to the barn where the animals have gathered for a barn dance. A rhyming book.

Title: Dumpy La Rue
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop  Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2001
"A rhyming story about a pig whose passion for dancing becomes contagious."

* Title: Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andreae     Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1999
"Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance with all the other animals at the Jungle Dance, until he finds the right music.

Title: Too Big to Dance
Author: Doug Anderson     Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Publisher: Handprint Books, 2004
"Eloise, the gentle zebra, was just a bit too big to join in the manning down at the juke joint. That's the same juke joint where Corndog Willie and his Slackjaws were playing up a storm. Of course, it will be up to gracious Cecil, the alligator, and Woo, the considerate armadillo, to set matters right."

* Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendack
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1984,1963
"A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king."  The little boy and the wild things have a wild dance. Caldecott Award Winner, 1964

back to subjects

Day Care/Nursery School

Title: Barney is Big
Author: Nicki Weiss
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1988
"Before going off to his first day at nursery school, Barney and his mother recall what being a baby was like and discuss what a big boy he is now."

Title: First Day of School
Author: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher: Dial Books, 1983
"A little girl is not looking forward to her first day at nursery school until she makes friends with another new girl."

Title: I Don't Want To!
Author: Sally Grindley    Illustrator: Carol Thompson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1990
"All young children worried about starting nursery school, as Jim is, will be reassured by this funny, satisfying story as they watch him finally change his mind."

Title: My Day, Your Day
Author: Robin Ballard
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
  "Children have a busy day at day care while their parents have a busy day at work."

Title: We Play
Author: Phyllis Hoffman  Illustrations: Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1990
"A rhymed account of a child's fun-filled day at nursery school. a rollicking, playful book, which shows that even the simplest things can be fun when shared with friends."

Title: You Go Away
Author: Dorothy Corey      Illustrator: Diane Paterson
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 1999
"Conveys everyday experiences of children briefly separated from their parents or caretakers and then reunited." Written for the very young child.

back to subjects

Death

Title: Better With Two
Author: Barbara M. Joosse     Illustrator:  Catherine Stock
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
"Laura tries to make Mrs. Brady feel better when her dog Max dies."

*Title: Big Cat Pepper
Author: Elizabeth Partridge        Illustrator: Lauren Castillo
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2009
"Big Cat Pepper has always been part of the family, but after he grows very old and dies, the boy who loves him comes to understand his mother's reassurance that "his spirit is forever and can fly, fly, fly."

Title: The Bug Cemetery
Author: Frances Hill    Illustrator: Vera Rosenberry
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, 2002
"Neighborhood children imaginatively stage funerals for dead bugs, but they experience real sadness following the death of a pet."

Title: Goodbye Mousie
Author: Robie H. Harris    Illustrator: Jan Ormerod
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001
  "A boy grieves for his dead pet Mousie, helps to bury him, and begins to come to terms with his loss."

Title: The Hickory Chair
Author: Lisa Rowe Fraustino   Illustrator: Benny Andrews
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001
"A blind boy tells of his warm relationship with his grandmother and the gift she left him after her death."

Title: The Worry Stone
Author: Marianna Dengler,  Illustrator: Sibyl Graber Gerig
Publisher: Rising Moon, 1996
This is a series of three stories loosely woven together. The middle story concerns a young girl's love for her grandfather and how she copes with his death.

back to subjects

Disabilities

Title: About Handicaps
Author: Sara Bonnett Stein    Photography by Dick Frank
Publisher: Walker and Company, 1974
Discusses in a story for children and in smaller print for parents how to help their children not to be frightened or cruel to other disabled children."

Title: All About My Brother
Author and Illustrator: Sarah Peralta     Foreword by Brenda Smith Myles, Ph. D.
Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.,  2002
"A young author tell all about her brother who has autism."

Title: Becky the Brave: A Story About Epilepsy
Author: Laurie Lears        Illustrator: Gail Piazza
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2002
"Nothing seems to scare Sarah's big sister Becky, until having an epileptic seizure makes her reluctant to return to school, and so Sarah summons her own courage to explain the disease to the other students."

Title: The Cross-Eyed Rabbit
Author and Illustrator: Claude Boujon
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1984
"A visually-impaired rabbit comes to the aid of his two brothers when a fox threatens their home."

Title: Frida
Author: Jonah Winter    Illustrator: Ana Juan
Publisher: Levine Books, 2002
A picture book biography and inspirational story of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Title: The Hickory Chair
Author: Lisa Rowe Fraustino   Illustrator: Benny Andrews
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001
"A blind boy tells of his warm relationship with his grandmother and the gift she left him after her death."

Title: Nathan's Wish: A story about cerebral palsy
Author: Laurie Lears     Illustrator: Stacey Schuett
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2005
"A boy with cerebral palsy helps out at a raptor rehabilitation center and is inspired himself when an owl that cannot fly finds another purpose in life."
       
Title: Someone Special, just like you
Author: Tricia Brown, Photographs by Fran Ortiz
Publisher: Henry Holt, 1982
Talks about how children with disabilities have the same wants, needs and hopes as other children.

Title: Susan Laughs
Author: Jeanne Willis     Illustrator: Tony Ross
Publisher: Henry Holt, 2000
"Rhyming couplets describe a wide range of common emotions and activities experienced by a little girl who uses a wheelchair."

Title: What's Wrong with Timmy?
Author: Maria Shriver     Illustrator: Sandra Speidel
Publisher: Warner Books, 2001
"Making friends with a mentally retarded boy helps Kate learn that the two of them have a lot in common."

Title: Where's Chimpy?
Author: Berniece Rabe,  Photographs by Diane Schmidt
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company, 1988
"Text and photographs show Misty, i little girl with Down Syndrome, and her father reviewing her day's activities in their search for her stuffed monkey."

Title: Why Does Izzy Cover Her Ears? : Dealing with Sensory Overload
Author and Illustrator: Jennifer Veenendall
Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2009
"Illustrated children's book dealing with the challenges at home and at school of sensory overload--symptoms and tools for mitigating them and enabling children to function and learn more successfully."

back to subjects
   
    

Divorce

Title: Loon Summer
Author: Barbara Santucci     Illustrator: Andrea Shine
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
"While spending the summer with her father. Rainie wished her parents would stay together, just like the family of loons she sees on the lake."

Title: My Mother's Getting Married
Author: Joan Drescher
Publisher: Dial Books, 1985
"Katy is not looking forward to the changes that her mother's marriage will bring."

Title: A New Room for William
Author: Sally Grindley   Illustrator: Carol Thompson
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2000
"When William and his mother move, he is unhappy about having a new room, but he changes his mind after he gets dinosaur wallpaper and makes a new friend."

* Title: Two Homes
Author: Claire Masurel  Illustrator: Kady MacDonald Denton
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2001
"A young boy named Alex enjoys the homes of both his parents who live apart but love Alex very much."

back to subjects

Easter

Title: The Bunny Who Found Easter
Author: Charlotte Zolotow    Illustrator: Helen Craig
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1959, renewed 1987  Illustrations © 1998
"A lonely bunny rabbit searches for others of his kind from summer through winter until spring arrives and he finds one special bunny."

Title: The Easter Bunny that Overslept
Authors: Priscilla and Otto Friedrich    Illustrator: Donald Saaf
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher, 2002
"Having slept past Easter, the Easter bunny tries to distribute his eggs on Mother's Day, the Fourth of July, and Halloween, but no one is interested until finally Santa Claus is able to get him back on track."

*Title: Max Counts His Chickens
Author and Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Viking, 2007
"Ruby finds one in the dollhouse, another in the soap dish, one more under her pillow. Soon Ruby can count ten chicks in her basket. Max has none. But count on Max to have the last laugh."

back to subjects

Emotions

*Title: Bear Feels Scared
Author: Karma Wilson     Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008
"Bear's animal friends come to his rescue when he becomes lost and frightened in the woods"

Title: A Book of Hugs
Author: Dave Ross      Illustrator: Laura Rader
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999
"Describes a variety of hugs, including people hugs, blanket hugs, and birthday hugs, and presents facts and hints about hugs."

*Title: Fancy Nancy, Bonjour, Butterfly
Author: Jane O'Connor    Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
"Nancy is furious when she cannot go to her friend Bree's butterfly-themed birthday party, but her family's outing might just be extraordinary enough to make her feel better."

*Title: A Good Day
Written and Illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2007
 "It started out as a bad day for little yellow bird, little white dog, little orange fox and little brown squirrel. Until...A discovery, and love, and luck and persistence and a different point of view changed all that."

Title: Good-bye Sammy
Author: Liza Ketchum Murrow    Illustrator: Gail Owens
Publisher: Holiday House, 1989
 
"A boy misses his lost toy rabbit even though his mother buys him a new rabbit."

* Title: Grizzly Dad
Author and Illustrator: Joanna Harrison 
Publisher: David Fickling Books, 2008
"Imagine going to wake up your dad and finding a great big grizzly bear in his place.... Well, that's just what happens to the little boy in this book--one moment his dad is feeling grumpy, and the next he's a real grizzly bear!" 

* Title: The Grouchies
Author:  Debbie Wagenbach     Illustrator: Steve Mack
Publisher: Magination Press, 2010
"
In a fun rhyming story, kids follow a boy through a grouchy day. Through him, kids will learn easy, practical ways to turn their grouchies into smiles and understand how their mood can affect others. An extensive Note Parents by Mary Lamia, PhD further explains the child's experience, relaying a particular understanding from the child's perspective."


Title: How Are You Peeling: foods with moods
Author: Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999
This book uses photographs of vegetables that have been decorated in such a way that explore human emotions.

Title: Hugs and Kisses
Author: Eve Tharlet   Illustrator Christophe Loupy
Publisher: A Michail Neugebauer Book; North-South Books, 2001
"A puppy named Hugs sets out one morning on a quest. He asks every animal he meets for a kiss, and they are all happy to oblige. He collects lots of wonderful kisses, but when he returns home Hugs discovers that the best kiss of all is the one he gets from his mother."

Title: I Love it When You Smile
Author: Sam McBratney   Illustrated by Charles Fuge
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2005
 "A grumpy little kangaroo is having a bad day until his mother finds a way to make him smile."

Title: I Love You with All My Heart
Author: Noris Kern
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1998
"When Caribou tells Polo that his mother loves him with all her heart, Polo is curious. How is this possible? He asks several of his friends how their mothers love them."

Title: I'm Sorry
Author: Sam McBratney    Illustrated by Jennifer Eachus
Publisher: HarperCollins,  2000
"Having a best friend makes life so much better. But even best friends fight, and when that happens, "I'm sorry" is the hardest thing to say."

*Title: Llama Llama Mad at Mamma
Author and Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2007
"A young llama wants to play but must go shopping with his mother instead, and so he gets angry and makes a mess at the store."

Title: Left Behind
Author: Carol Carrick    Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1988
"Christopher gets lost on the subway during an excursion to the aquarium and is afraid he'll never be reunited with his class."  Demonstrates the emotion: fear

Title: Leon and Albertine
Author and Illustrator: Christine Davenier
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1998
  "Leon the pig follows the advice of the other barnyard animals in trying to get the attention of Albertine the chicken, with whom he has fallen in love."

*Title: Mama, Do You Love Me?
Author: Barbara M. Joosse    Illustrator: Barbara Lavallee
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1991
  "A child living in the Arctic learns that a mother's love in unconditional."

Title: Mookey and the Monkey Gets Over Being Teased
Author: Heather Lonczak   Illustrator: Marcy Ramsey
Publisher: Magination Press, 2007
"Mookey the Monkey Gets over Being Teased presents an array of simple yet effective strategies to help children cope with teasing."

Title: My Many Colored Days
Author: Dr. Suess    Paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996
"This rhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turn is associated with specific emotions."

Title: Oh No, Not Ghosts
Author: Richard Michelson      Illustrator: Adam McCauley
Publisher: Harcourt, 2006
  "An older brother "reassures" his younger sister abut all the creatures hat she imagines lurking in the dark bedroom, but his words only scare her more."

Title: Pig and Crow
Author: Kay Chorao
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2000
"Crow tricks Pig by trading him supposedly magic items for food, but in the process Pig discovers the value of hard work, patience, and an appreciation for beauty and joy." The story also explores loneliness.

*Title: Soft House
Author: Jane Yolen    Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2005
 "On a rainy afternoon, a little brother and big sister make a cozy house from blankets and cushions with the help of Mr. Cat." The story also covers being afraid of the dark.

Title: Sometines I'm Scared
Authors: Jane Annunziata and Marc Nemiroff    Illustrated by: Bryan Langdo
Publisher:  Magination Press, 2009
"Sometimes I'm Scared empowers kids by giving them the tool and information they need to understand and overcome common childhood fears."

*Title: Toby and the Snowflakes
Author: Julie Halpern    Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2004
  "Lonely after his best friend moves away, Toby finds new playmates in the talking snowflakes that begin to fall."

Title: Today I Feel Silly: & Other Moods That Make My Day
Author: Jamie Lee Curtis    Illustrator: Laura Cornell
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books, 1998
"A child's emotions range from silliness to anger to excitement, coloring and changing each day."

back to subjects

Etiquette/Manners

Title: Big and Noisy Simon
Author: Joseph Wallace  Illustrator: Kevin O'Malley
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2001
"Simon cannot help being big and noisy, until he goes to Africa with his parents and watches a herd of elephants being big and noisy sometimes and silent when they need to be."

Title: Cookies: Bit Size Life Lessons
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal    illustrated by Jane Dyer
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2006
  "A new kind of dictionary, one that defines mysteries such as "fair" and "unfair" and what it really means to "cooperate."

Title: Manners
Author and Illustrator:  Aliki
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1990
"Discusses manners and gives example of good manners and bad manners."

* Title: My Dog Never Says Please
Author: Suzanne Williams   Illustrator: Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Dial Books, 1997
"Tired of having to mind her manners, clean her room, and wear shoes, Ginny Mae wishes she could trade places with the family dog."

*Title: Peace Week in Miss Fox's Class
Author: Eileen Spinelli        Illustrator: Anne Kennedy
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2009
"Miss Fox is tired of hearing her young students quarrel. So she announces Peace Week -- no more squabbling for one whole week! Soon, to their surprise, the little animals are finding that it's easy to help others, take turns, and say nice things, even when someone is grumpy to them. Wouldn't it be nice, Squirrel says if every week could be Peace Week."

* Title: Rude Mule
Author: Pamela Duncan Edwards  Illustrator: Barbara Nascimbeni
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2002
"A rude mule learns that he has more fun when he uses good manners."

Title: The Thingumajig Book of Manners
Author: Irene Keller     Illustrator: Dick Keller
Publisher: Ideals Children's Books, 1988
"Those Thingumajigs are at it again! They slurp their soup and rock their chairs. They never say 'Thank you' and they never say 'Please.' They are funny study in bad manners but children also learn the good manners from each pages's contrasting example."

* Title: When Kangaroo Goes to School
Author: Sonia Levitin   Illustrated by Jeff Seaver
Publisher: Rising Moon, 2001
"Kangaroo learns the proper way to behave on the first day of school."

Back to subjects

Family

Title: Abigail at the Beach
Author: Felix Pirani     Illustrator: Christine Roche
Publisher: Dial Books, 1989
"A little girl goes to the beach with her Father, where her imagination enables her to build the biggest sand castle in the world."

Title: Amy Loves the Rain
Author: Julia Hoban    Illustrator: Lillian Hoban
Publisher: Harper and Rowe, 1989
"Amy and her mother drive through the rain to pick up Daddy."

Title: A Book of Hugs
Author: Dave Ross      Illustrator: Laura Rader
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999
"Describes a variety of hugs, including people hugs, blanket hugs, and birthday hugs, and presents facts and hints about hugs."

Title: The Bunnies' Trip
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2008
Author: Lezlie Evans    Illustrator: Kay Sproat Chorao
The bunny family gets ready to take a vacation and visit family.

Title: Dad Runs Away with the Circus
Author: Etgar Keret    Illustrator: Rutu Modan
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2000
"A wildly enthusiastic father surprises his family when he runs off to join the circus."

Title: Dirt on My Shirt
Author: Jeff Foxworthy    Illustrator: Steve Bjorkman
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
Funny, short poems that center around a child's life, such as: friends, family, animals...ect

*Title: Fancy Nancy, Bonjour, Butterfly
Author: Jane O'Connor    Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
"Nancy is furious when she cannot go to her friend Bree's butterfly-themed birthday party, but her family's outing might just be extraordinary enough to make her feel better."

Title: At Grammy's House
Author: Eve Rice,  Illustrator: Nancy Winslow Parker
Publisher:  Greenwillow, 1990
"A brother and sister spend a delightful day at Grammy's farmhouse."

Title: Emma's Yucky Brother
Author: Jean Little  Illustrator: Jennifer Plecas
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001
"Emma finds out how hard it is to be a big sister when her family adopts a four-year-old boy named Max."

Title: Flying Dimitri
Author: Blair Drawson
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1997
"After presenting a birthday gift to his father, Dimitri embarks on a flying adventure."

Title: A Fun Weekend
Author: Franz Brandenberg,  Illustrator: Alexa Brandenberg
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books, 1991
The bear family starts out for a night at a lodge but make so many stops they don't get there in time.

*Title: A Good Night Walk
Author and Illustrator: Elisha Cooper
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2005
  "A parent takes his/her child on a journey through a neighborhood and shown the sights, sounds, and smells as evening approaches."*

Title: Grizzly Dad
Author and Illustrator: Joanna Harrison 
Publisher: David Fickling Books, 2008
"Imagine going to wake up your dad and finding a great big grizzly bear in his place.... Well, that's just what happens to the little boy in this book--one moment his dad is feeling grumpy, and the next he's a real grizzly bear!" 

Title: The Hello, Goodbye Window
Author: Norton Juster     Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005
A child talks about visiting with her grandparents. Caldecott Award Winner, 2006

Title: Grandfather's Journey
Author: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993
"A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries." Caldecott Award Winner, 1994

Title: The Hickory Chair
Author: Lisa Rowe Fraustino   Illustrator: Benny Andrews
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001
"A blind boy tells of his warm relationship with his grandmother and the gift she left him after her death."

Title: I Love You with All My Heart
Author: Noris Kern
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1998
"When Caribou tells Polo that his mother loves him with all her heart, Polo is curious. How is this possible? He asks several of his friends how their mothers love them."

Title: In Window Eight, the Moon is Late
Author and Illustrator: Diane Worfolk Allison
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 1988
"At the end of a summer day a little girl goes through the house saying good-night to the various members of her family." The book also involves some counting and the summer season.
   
   
 Title: The Keeping Quilt
Author: Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 1988
"A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith."

*Title: Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale
Author and Illustrator:  Mo Williams
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2004
"Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny as been left behind."

Title: Mama, Do You Love Me?
Author: Barbara M. Joosse    Illustrator: Barbara Lavallee
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1991
  "A child living in the Arctic learns that a mother's love in unconditional."

Title: Me Too! Me Too!
Author: Harriet Ziefert    Illustrator: Karen Gundersheimer
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
  "Molly and her little sister have fun playing indoors and outdoors on a rainy day."

Title: My Dad Takes Care of Me
Author: Patricia Quinlan    Illustrations: Vlasta van Kampen
Publisher: Annick Press, 1987
The Father lost his job and the Mother gets one and now the little boy is taken care of by his Dad.

Title: My Day, Your Day
Author: Robin Ballard
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
  "Children have a busy day at day care while their parents have a busy day at work."

Title: My Mother's Getting Married
Author: Joan Drescher
Publisher: Dial Books, 1985
"Katy is not looking forward to the changes that her mother's marriage will bring."

Title: Oonga Boonga
Author: Frieda Wishinsky    Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1990
"Big brother Daniel seems to have just the right touch when it comes to making Baby Louise stop crying."

Title: Our Home is the Sea
Author: Riki Levinson     Illustrator: Dennis Luzak
Publisher: E. P. Dutton, 1988
"A Chinese boy hurries home from school to his family's houseboat in Hong Kong harbor. It is the end of the school year, and he is anxious to join his father and grandfather in their family profession, fishing."

Title: Ox-cart Man
Author: Donald Hall
Illustrator: Barbara Cooney
Publisher: Viking Press, 1979
  "A lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one New Englander and his family." Caldecott Award Winner, 1980

Title: Princess Pearl
Author: Nicki Weiss
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1986
  "Rosemary is mean to her younger sister Pearl until she sees Pearl's friend act mean toward her too."
   
     
Title: The Relatives Came
Author: Cynthia Rylant,  Illustrator: Stephen Gammell
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1985
A big family piles into their station wagon and goes to visit relatives and they all have a grand time.

Title: Saturday Belongs to Sara
Author: Cathy Warren     Illustrated by DyAnne Disalvo-Ryan
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1988
Sara and her mother have set aside a Saturday just for the two of them. Sara ends up having to share part of  her day with an elderly woman. At first she resents it but later realizes the visit made the day even more special.
      
Title: A Secret for Grandmother's Birthday
Author:  Franz Brandenberg   Illustrator: Aliki
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1975
"A brother and sister cat plan the secret gifts they will give grandmother cat for her birthday."

Title: The Secret Keeper
Author: Anna Grossnickle Hines
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1990
   "Unhappy to be the only one in his house without Christmas secrets, Joshua is relieved when Grandma comes and helps him have some secrets of his own."

Title: The Sissy Duckling
Author: Harvey Fierstein   Illustator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002
  "Elmer the duck is teased because he is different, but he proves himself by not only surviving the winter, but also saving his papa."
   
         
 Title: Song and Dance Man
Author: Karen Ackerman,  Illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Publisher: Alfred A. Knoph,  1988
"Grandpa demonstrates for his visiting grandchildren some of the songs, dances, and jokes he performed when he was a vaudeville entertainer." Caldecott Award Winner, 1989
   
     
Title: Stina's Visit
Author and Illustrator: Lena Anderson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1989
"Stina and her grandfather visit an old sailor on his birthday."

Title: Too Many Tamales!
Author: Gary Soto     Illustrator: Ed Martinez
Publisher: Putnam, 1993
  "Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing."

Title: The Tooth and My Father
Author: William Saroyan,   Illustrator: Suzanne Verrier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1974
This is actually two stories, one in which the author explores the universal experience of losing a tooth and the mysterious tooth fairy and the other of life with his father.

Title: When Dad's At Sea
Author: Mindy L. Pelton     Illustrator: Robert Gannt Steele
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Co., 2004
  "Emily, whose father is a Navy pilot, has to deal with the separation of her family while her dad is deployed aboard a ship."

Title: You Bet Your Britches, Claude
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon,   Illustrator, Tracey Campbell Pearson
Publisher: Viking Penguin, 1989
"Shirley and Claude lead a settled life with their adopted son, Tom, until Shirley goes to town to retrieve Tom's sister, Bessie and the two run into more than their fair share of criminals."

*Title: You're All My Favorites
Author: Sam McBratney   Illustrator: Anita Jeram
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2004
  "Once upon a time, a Mommy Bear and a Daddy Bear told their three little cubs that they were the best baby bears in the whole wide world. But the time came when each of the siblings began to wonder. They couldn't all be the best They couldn't all be favorites. Or could they?"

back to subjects
        

Father's Day

Title: A Perfect Father's Day
Author: Eve Bunting,  Illustrator: Susan Meddaigh
Publisher: Clarion, 1991
"When four-year-old Susie treats her father to a series of special activities for Father's Day, they just happen to be all her own favorite things."

back to subjects

Fishes

Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2006
  "An imaginative, wordless story of a boy discovering a magical camera that has taken pictures of life under the sea." Caldecott Award Winner, 2007

Title: In the Swim
Written and Illustrated by Douglas Florian
Publisher: Harcourt, 1997
Poems about sea creatures.

Title: Is This a House for Hermit Crab?
Author: Megan McDonald   Illustrator S.D. Schindler
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1990
"When hermit crab outgrows his old house he ventures out to find a new one."
   
    
Title: Mister Seahorse
Author: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2004
"After Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs on Mr. Seahorse's belly, he drifts through the water, greeting other fish fathers who are taking care of their eggs."

* Title: Swimmy
Author: Leo Lionno
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963
A Caldecott Honor Book. "In this Lionni classic, Swimmy, a small orphaned fish, shows his friends how--with ingenuity and hard work--they can conquer their fears and overcome the dangers of the wet world."

Title: What is a fish
Author: David Eastman,  Illustrator: Lynn Sweat
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
Brief text covering the basic facts about fish.

Title: What's Under the Ocean
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig,   Illustrator: Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce some animals and plants that live in the ocean."

back to subjects

 Folklore/Folktales

Title: Androcles and the Lion and other Aesop's Fables
Retold by Tom Paxton and Illustrated by Robert Rayevsky
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1991
"A collection of Aesop's fables, retold in verse, including The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, The Man, the boy and the Donkey, and The Wolf and the Crane."

Title: Borreguita and the Coyote
Retold by Verna Aardema,  Illustrator: Petra Mathers
Publisher: Alfred A. Knoph, 1991
"A little lamb uses her clever wiles to keep a coyote from eating her up." A Mexican Folktale.

* Title: Caps for Sale
Author and Illustrator: Esphyr Slobodkina
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.,  1940
"A tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business."

Title: Federico and the Magi's Gift
Author and Illustrator:  Beatriz Vidal
Publisher: Random House, 2004
 "Because he has misbehaved, four-year-old Federico is afraid the three kings will not bring the toy horse he asked them for and, unable to sleep, he goes outside to await their arrival."

Title: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Author: Paul Goble
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1978
"Though she is fond of her people, a girl prefers to live among the wild horses where she is truly happy and free."
A story with a Native American backdrop. Caldecott Award Winner, 1979

* Title: Honey...Honey...Lion!: A Story from Africa
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2005
"After working together to obtain honey, the African honey badger always shares it with his partner, the honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson."

Title: Jack and the Giant: A story full of beans
Author: Jim Harris
Publisher: South Sea International Press Ltd., 1997
Jack and the Beanstalk  turned Western.

Title: John Henry
Author: Julius Lester    Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: Dial Books, 1994
A ballad about an ex-slave, John Henry, who had a contest with the steam drill.

Title: A Journey to Paradise
Author-illustrator:  Anne Siberell
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.,  1990
"Out of India's unique horticultural heritage and its rich oral tradition, stories of gardens were passed from one generation to the next. One such folktale is about a gardener's monkey who rides to Paradise on an elephant's back."

Title: Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China
Author/Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Philomel Books,  1989
"Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother."  Caldecott Award Winner,  1990

Title: Moon Rope
Author: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992
  "An adaptation of the Peruvian folktale in which Fox and Mole try to climb to the moon on a rope woven of grass."

Title: The Nightingale
Author: Hans Christian Anderson    Illustrator: Alison Claire Darke
Publisher: Doubleday, 1989
  "Though the Emperor neglects the nightingale in preference for a jeweled mechanical imitation, the little bird returns to revive the dying ruler with its beautiful song."

Title: Perez and Martina
Author: Pura Belpré, Illustrator: Carlos Sánchez
Publisher: Viking, 1991
A Puerto Rican Folktale of Marina and her suitor, the gallant Señor Preez, the mouse.

Title: The Pied Piper
Retold by Tom DeFalco     Illustrator: Joe Ewers
Publisher: Reader's Digest, 2004
 Mice invade a village and the Pied Piper is promised a bag of gold to make the mice leave but when he does the mayor refuses to keep his promise.

Title: Rapunzel
Retold and Illustrated by:  Paul O. Zelinsky
Publisher: Dutton's Children's Books, 1997
  "A retelling of the German folktale in which a beautiful girl with long golden hair is kept imprisoned in a lonely tower by a sorceress."  Caldecott Award Winner, 1998

Title: The Riddle
Retold by: Adele Vernon    Illustrators: Robert Rayevsky and Vladimir Radunsky
Publisher: Dodd, Mead, & Company, 1987
   "A retelling of a traditional Catalan Tale in which a poor charcoal maker's cleverness wins him an unexpected fortune."  Folklore from Spain.

Title: Shake It, Morena! and other Folklore from Puerto Rico
Compiled by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand     Illustrator: Lulu Delacre
Publisher: Millbrook Press, 2002
An illustrated collection of games, songs, traditions, and stories from Puerto Rico in both English and Spanish.

Title: Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe
Adapted by Marianna Mayer     Illustrator: John Rush
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2004
A retelling of a historical novel from western literature.

Title: Stone Soup
Retold and illustrated by Iris VanRynbach
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1988
"When a family claims it has no food to feed him, a hungry soldier proceeds to make a soup with a stone and water."

Title: A Story, A Story
Retold and Illustrated by Gail E. Haley
Publisher: Atheneum, 1970
  "Many African stories, whether or not they are about Kwaku Ananse the "spider man," are called "Spider Stories." This book is about how that came to be." Caldecott Award Winner, 1971

Title: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Author: Peter Christen Asbjornsen,  Illustrator: Paul Galdone
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1973
The famous story of the three goat brothers crossing the bridge. Believed to have originated in Norway.

Title: The Three Pigs
Author and Illustrator:  David Wiesner
Publisher: Clairon Books, 2001
A tradition story with a twist. "The three pigs escape the wolf by going into another world where they meet the cat and the fiddle, the cow that jumped over the moon, and a dragon." Caldecott Award Winner, 2002

Title: The Three Wonderful Beggars
Adapted and Illustrated by Sally Scott
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1987
  "After predicting that hard-hearted Mark the Rich will lose his fortune to the young Vassilil, three beggars save Vassili from Mark's repeated attempts to kill him." A version of a Serbian tale.

* Title: Tikki Tikki Tembo
Retold by Arlene Mosel    Illustrator: Blair Lent
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1968
A re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale about the dangers of giving first born sons long names.

Title: Toad is the Uncle of Heaven
Author: Jeanne M. Lee
Publisher: Henry Holt, 1985
"Toad leads a group of animals to ask the King of Heaven to send rain to the parched earth."   A Vietnamese Folk Tale

Title: The Tongue-cut Sparrow
Retold by Momoko Ishii   Illustrator: Suekichi Akaba    Translated by Katherine Paterson
Publisher: Lodestar Books, 1982
   Japanese folklore. "A kind old man and his greedy wife pay separate visits to the tongue-cut sparrow and receive as gifts what they deserve."

Title: The Tortoise and the Hare
Adapted by Janet Stevens
Publisher: Holiday House, 1984
   "Recounts the race between the boastful hare and the persevering tortoise."  An Aesop Fable

Title: The Turtle and the Island: A Folktale from Papua New Guinea
Author: Barbara Ker Wilson    Illustrator: Frane Lessac
Publisher: J. B. Lippincott, 1978
"Retells the legend of how New Guinea was made by a great sea turtle, the mother of all sea turtles."

Title: The Ugly Duckling
Author: Hans Christian Anderson      Adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: Scholastic, 1999
  A baby swan ends up being hatched in a duck's nest. He is teased, bullied and called ugly by all the other ducks. He spends a miserable year by himself and then finds out the next spring that he has grown into a beautiful adult swan.

 
* Title: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Retold by Verna Aardema,  Illustrator: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial, 1975
A West African Tale. "Mosquito tells Iguana a tall tale that sets off a chain reaction that ends up in jungle disaster. Caldecott Award Winner, 1976

Title: The Worry Stone
Author: Marianna Dengler,  Illustrator: Sibyl Graber Gerig
Publisher: Rising Moon, 1996
This book has three stories loosely woven together. Once story concerns the California's Ojai Valley and the Chumash Indians.

back to subjects

Food

Title: Bunny Cakes
Author: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Dial, 1997
"Max makes an earthworm cake for Grandma's birthday and helps Ruby with her angel surprise cake. At the store, the grocer can't read all of the shopping list until Max solves the problem by drawing pictures."

Title: Cookies: Bit Size Life Lessons
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal    illustrated by Jane Dyer
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2006
  "A new kind of dictionary, one that defines mysteries such as "fair" and "unfair" and what it really means to "cooperate."

Title: Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z
Author: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and Co.,  1989
"An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini."

Title: How My Parents learned to Eat
Author Ina R. Friedman    Illustrator: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984
"An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating."

Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author: Maurice Sendak   
Publisher: Harper and Row, 1970
Mickey is awakened in the night and has an adventure in the night kitchen with the bakers.

Title: Kitten's First Full Moon
Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2004
  "When kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2005

Title: The Little Red Hen
Author: Paul Galdone
Publisher: Clarion Books,  1973
The little red hen asks her friends for help in planting the wheat and caring for it and lastly making it into a cake. Her friends were too lazy to help and so little red hen eats the cake herself. 

Title: Pig and Crow
Author: Kay Chorao
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2000
"Crow tricks Pig by trading him supposedly magic items for food, but in the process Pig discovers the value of hard work, patience, and an appreciation for beauty and joy." The story also explores loneliness.

* Title: Sam who Never Forgets
Author: Eve Rice
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1977
Sam feeds the zoo animals everyday at 3 o'clock but elephant is afraid that Sam has forgotten him.

Title: Stone Soup
Retold and illustrated by Iris VanRynbach
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1988
"When a family claims it has no food to feed him, a hungry soldier proceeds to make a soup with a stone and water."

Title: Too Many Tamales!
Author: Gary Soto     Illustrator: Ed Martinez
Publisher: Putnam, 1993
  "Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing."

Title: Uncle Willie and the Soup KitchenT
Author: DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Publisher: Marrow Junior Books, 1991
"A boy spends the day with Uncle Willie in the soup kitchen where he works preparing and serving food for the hungry."

Title: Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?
Authors: Bonnie Lass & Philemon Sturges   Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2000
"A skunk tries to find which of his animal friends stole the cookies." His animal friends have other food habits.

Title: Yummy, Yummy
Author: Judith Grey   Illustrated by Joan E. Goodman
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1981
"Undecided what kind on cake to make, a hippo mixes apples, carrots, honey and chocolate and puts them in the oven."

back to subjects

Foster Care

Title: Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care
Author: Jennifer Wilgocki & Marcia Kahn Wright     Illustrator: Alissa Imre Geis
Publisher: Imagination Press, 2002
 "Introduces the people and procedures involved in foster care, and the feelings, reactions and concerns of new foster children. Includes an afterword for caregivers."

 

Friendship

Title: Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
Author: Lorena Siminovich
Publisher: Templar Books, 2008
This story explores the concept of being best friends while still liking very different activities.

Title: Annie Bananie
Author: Leah Komaiko     Illstrator: Laura Cornell
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1987
"Sad because her best friend, Annie Bananie, is moving away, a little girl remembers all the fun they had together."

* Title: Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson      Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002
"On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleep bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun."

Title: Better With Two
Author: Barbara M. Joosse     Illustrator:  Catherine Stock
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
"Laura tries to make Mrs. Brady feel better when her dog Max dies." They develop a friendship.

Title: Chester's Way
Author and Illustrator:  Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1988
"Chester and Wilson share the same exact way of doing things, until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good."

Title: Diary of a Spider
Author: Doreen Cronin       Illustrator: Harry Bliss
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books, 2005
"A young spider discovers, day by day, that there is a lot to learn about being a spider, including how to spin webs and avoid vacuum cleaners."

Title: Do You Want to Be My Friend?
Author and Illustrator:  Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel, 1988
"A young mouse goes in search of a friend."

Title: Duck & Goose
Author: Tad Hills
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006
"Duck and Goose learn to work together to take care of a ball which they think is an egg."

Title: Farmer Duck
Author: Martin Waddell
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 1991
 "When a kind and hardworking duck nearly collapses from overwork, while taking care of a farm because the owner is too lazy to do so, the rest of the animals get together and chase the farmer out of town."

Title: Feel Better, Ernest!
Author: Gabrielle Vincent
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1988
"Celestine the mouse, takes very good care of his friend, Ernest the bear, while he is sick."

Title: First Day of School
Author: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher: Dial Books, 1983
"A little girl is not looking forward to her first day at nursery school until she makes friends with another new girl."

Title: Friends
Author: Helme Heine
Publisher: Aladdin Books, 1982
"Such good friends--Charlie Rooster, Johnny Mouse and fat Percy the pig! They share everything: games of hide-and-seek and pirates, fishing, cherry picking and eating, plus the stomachaches that come after."

*Title: Giddy Goat
Author: Jamie Rix       Illustrator: Lynne Chapman
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2003
  "Giddy isn't like other mountain goats who relish picnics atop The Needle, the highest, mountain around. Stand Giddy on a mountain ledge and his head starts spinning, his face turns white, and his knees turn to jelly."

* Title: Honey...Honey...Lion!: A Story from Africa
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2005
"After working together to obtain honey, the African honey badger always shares it with his partner, the honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson."

*Title: Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores
Author: James Howe      Illustrator: Amy Walrod
Publisher: Atheneum, 1999
"Three mice friends learn that the best clubs include everyone."

Title: Hunter's Best Friend at School
Author: Laura Malone Elliott      Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002
  "Hunter, the raccoon, is not sure what he should do when his best friend Stripe starts acting up a school."

Title: It Wasn't Me
Author: Udo Weigelt
Publisher: North-South Books, 2001
  Ferret's luscious raspberries are missing. Mouse is sure he knows who the culprit is: Raven stole Hamster's gold, so she must be guilty. But Raven vehemently denies it and sets about unmasking the real thief. This story talks about the dangers of jumping to conclusions."

*Title: The Littlest Dinosaur
Author and Illustrator: Michael Foreman
Publisher: Walker & Company, 2008
"The littlest dinosaur thinks he is too small to do much of anything until his family and neighbors are in trouble and need his help."

  Title: Marcella and the Moon
Author: Laura Jane Coats
Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986
"Rather than swimming with her other duck friends, Marcella would rather be painting."

Title: My Friend Rabbit
Author: Eric Rohmann
Publisher: Roaring Book Press, 2002
 "When Mouse let his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind--but when Rabbit sets out to solve a problem, even bigger problems follow." Caldecott Award Winner, 2003

Title: Pig and Crow
Author: Kay Chorao
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2000
"Crow tricks Pig by trading him supposedly magic items for food, but in the process Pig discovers the value of hard work, patience, and an appreciation for beauty and joy." The story also explores loneliness.

Title: A Pig is Moving In!
Author: Claudia Fries
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2000
"Someone new is moving into the apartment building. 'It's ....a pig!' gasps Henrietta Hen. 'Everyone knows that pigs are messy and dirty and sloppy.'"

Title: Princess Pearl
Author: Nicki Weiss
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1986
  "Rosemary is mean to her younger sister Pearl until she sees Pearl's friend act mean toward her too."

*Title: Princess Pig
Author: Eileen Spinelli        Illustrator: Tim Bowers
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009
"A parade princess's sash gets caught up in a gust of wind and lands on a sleeping little pig. Suddenly, Pig's dreams have come true! She is now Princess Pig. She will wear only princessy things, eat only what princesses eat, and do only what a princess does. Everything will be perfect and wonderful now that she is truly special and not just a regular pig. Won't it? All hail Princess Pig--and every regular little girl who knows what really makes her special."

*Title: Sneaky Weasel
Author and Illustrator Hannah Shaw
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008
"A sneaky weasel finds that his tricks have left him with plenty of power, a swimming pool full of money, and absolutely no friends. Can this very bad weasel learn how to be good? (But, you know not sickeninlgy good)."

Title: Timothy Goes to School
Author/illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Dial Press, 1981
The first day of school and the difficulty of fitting in and finding a friend.

*Title: Toby and the Snowflakes
Author: Julie Halpern    Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2004
  "Lonely after his best friend moves away, Toby finds new playmates in the talking snowflakes that begin to fall."

Title: Too Big to Dance
Author: Doug Anderson     Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Publisher: Handprint Books, 2004
"Eloise, the gentle zebra, was just a bit too big to join in the manning down at the juke joint. That's the same juke joint where Corndog Willie and his Slackjaws were playing up a storm. Of course, it will be up to gracious Cecil, the alligator, and Woo, the considerate armadillo, to set matters right."

Title: We Play
Author: Phyllis Hoffman  Illustrations: Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1990
"A rhymed account of a child's fun-filled day at nursery school. a rollicking, playful book, which shows that even the simplest things can be fun when shared with friends."

Title: What's the Recipe for Friends?
Author: Greg Williamson     Illustrator: Greg Abele
Publisher: Peerless Publishing, 1999
"A young boy named Freddy moves with his family to a new town. He is worried that he doesn't know how to make new friends. Luckily, his mom has the recipe!"
       

back to subjects

Getting Lost

*Title: Bear Feels Scared
Author: Karma Wilson     Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008
"Bear's animal friends come to his rescue when he becomes lost."

* Title: Come Along, Daisy!
Author: Jane Simmons
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1997
"Daisy the duckling becomes so engrossed in playing with dragonflies and lily pads that she temporarily loses her mother.

* Title: Corduroy Lost and Found
Author: Barbara G. Hennessy    Illustrator: Jody Wheeler
Publisher: Viking, Penguin Group, 2006
 "Corduroy the teddy bear sets out one night to find a birthday present for his owner, Lisa, but soon realizes that he cannot find his way home."

*Title: Henry's Night
Author: D.B. Johnson and Linda Michelin      Illustrator: D. B. Johnson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009
"A story inspired by David Thoreau Walden. D. B. Johnson recreates the wonder of Henry David Thoreau's moonlit walks and show us Henry's magical encounter with a night bird."

*Title: The Littlest Dinosaur's Big Adventure
Author and Illustrator:  Michael Foreman
Publisher: Walker & Company, 2009
"The littlest dinosaur discovers the advantages of being small as he frolics among the lily pads with his new frog friends, and then bravely fins his way home after getting lost in the woods."

Ghost Stories

Title: A Big, Spooky House
Author: Donna Washington    Illustrator: Jacqueline Rogers
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2000
"The BIG, STRONG man isn't afraid of anything. He knows he can win every fight, climb any hill, and overcome any obstacle in his way. But when he decides to stay the night in a mysterious, deserted mansion on a hill, the BIG, STRONG man finds out that he isn't the BRAVEST man around."

Groundhog Day
       
Title: Gregory's Shadow
Author: Don Freeman
Publisher: Viking, 2000
  "Gregory Groundhog and his shadow desperately look for each other after they become separated from one another just before their annual appearance on Groundhog Day."

Growing up

Title: Arthur's Honey Bear
Author and Illustrator: Lillian Hoban
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1974
Arthur decided to sell some of the toys he has out grown but when it comes time to sell Honey Bear he has some second thoughts.

Title: Barney is Big
Author: Nicki Weiss
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1988
"Before going off to his first day at nursery school, Barney and his mother recall what being a baby was like and discuss what a big boy he is now."

Title: Billy's Big-Boy Bed
Author: Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Publisher: A Whispering Coyote Book
"As Billy gets too big for his crib, his parents buy him a new bed, but Billy is not sure he is ready for the change, until his favorite teddy bear ends up sleeping in the new bed."

* Title: Copy Me, Copycub
Author: Richard Edwards   Illustrator: Susan Winter
Publisher: Harpercollins, 1999
"Through spring, summer, and autumn, through streams, swamps, and up and down trees, a mother bear and her cub play a important game of follow the leader." Learning life skills.

Title: Crazy Clothes
Author: Niki Yektai   Illustrated by Sucie Stevenson
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1988
"When Patrick tries to show his mother how he can dress himself, his clothes become contrary and insist on going on the wrong parts of his body."

Title: Delphine
Author: Molly Bang
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1988
Delphine receives notice of a gift she will be receiving from her Grandmother and worries about it she will be able to handle it.

*Title: Flip, Flap, Fly
Author: Phyllis Root    Illustrator: David Walker
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2009
A rhyming story of baby animals learning new skills.

Title: More Alex and the Cat
Author: Helen V. Griffith     Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1983
  The cat teaches Alex the dog a few more lessons as Alex grows from a puppy to a dog.

Title: Pig Pig Grows Up
Author: David McPhail
Publisher: E.P. Dutton, 1980
Pig Pig refuses to grow up and stop being a baby until one special day something happens.

Title: Puff, the Magic Dragon
Authors: Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton     Illustrator: Eric Puybaret
Publisher: Sterling, 2006
"The adventures of a boy and his dragon friend are recounted in this classic song from the 1960s."

*Title: Someone Bigger
Author: Jonathan Emmett    Illustrator: Adrian Reynolds
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2003
"Sam can't wait to try out the new kite, but Dad says he's too small--this kite needs someone bigger. Dad launches the kite himself, and a strong wind pulls it into the sky. But the wind is so strong that it pulls Dad up, too! Who can rescue this runaway kite? Sam knows.!"

* Title: Titch
Author: Pat Hutchins
Publisher: MacMillan, 1971
Titch has two older siblings and they seem to do everything better than him. But when Titch plants the seed, after big brother and sister get to use the spade and handle the big pot, it is his seed that grows and grows.

Title: Waiting for Mama
Author: Beatrice Schenk de Regniers,   Illustrator: Victoria de Larrea
Publisher: Clarion Books,  1984
"This story gives a child's-eye view of just how long a few minutes can be....when you are waiting for Mama."

Title: Walking to School
Author: Ethel Turner     Illustrator: Peter Gouldthrope
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1988
"Relates, in verse, a little boy's efforts to be brave as he walks alone to school for the first time."
     
Title:  ZaZa's Big Break
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1989
Zaza is an actress in her family's theater troupe. She is invited to Hollywood to audition for a role in a TV show and finds out that acting on TV is much different than the stage. She makes a big decision about it.

back to subjects
   
     

Halloween

Title: The 13 Nights of Halloween
Author and Illustrator: Rebecca Dickinson
Publisher, Scholastic, 1996
"Following the pattern of the folk song, Twelve days of Christmas, a goblin guy gives his goblin gal a different present each of the thirteen nights of Halloween."

Title: Emma at the Beach
Author: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1990
Mean witches Dolores and Lavinia torment Emma and her friends and retreat to the  comfort of the beach, but their victims strike back with a creative form."

Title: The Halloween Parade
Author: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2001
  " Yoko and Timothy aren't very frightening in their costumes that look like food, but they can still scare Doris and Stumpy, who ride an almost-real motorcycle in the school's Halloween parade."

Title: Old Mother Witch
Author: Carol Carrick   Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1975
"While playing a harmless Halloween prank on crabby "old mother witch" David discovers she has had a heart attack and his make-believe night of terror becomes all too real

Title: Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet
Author: Diane de Groat
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1998
"Gilbert is excited about the costume he is planning to wear to the Halloween parade at school, until he discovers that lots of others have the same costume."

back to subjects

Hanukkah

Title: Hooray for Hanukkah!
Author: Fran Manushkin   Illustrator:  Carolyn Croll
Publisher: Random House, 2001
"A menorah describes a family's joyous celebration of this Jewish holiday, from the first night to the eighth and last"

  Title: On Hanukkah
Author: Cathy Goldberg Fishman,  Illustrator: Melanie W. Hall
Publisher: Atheneum, 1998
A family celebration of Hanukkah.

back to subjects
        

Helping

Title: Mirette on the High Wire
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Putnam & Grosset Group
"Mirette learns tightrope walking from Monsieur Bellini, a guest in her mother's boardinghouse, not knowing that he is a celebrated tightrope artist who has withdrawn from performing because of fear." She helps him overcome that fear. Caldecott Award Winner, 1993

Title: No Need for Monty
Author: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1987
"Convinced that crossing the river on the back of Monty the alligator is too slow, the animals try to find a faster way to get their children to school." Monty is the children's friend. 

Title: Officer Buckle and Gloria
Author and Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: Penguin Putman, 1995
Officer Buckle's safety tips talks at the school were always ignored until he started bringing his dog along Then Officer Buckle begins thinking that they don't need him just the dog. However, he learns it takes a team. Caldecott Award Winner, 1996

Title: The Ogre and the Frog King
Author: Solotareff, Grgoire
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1986
"A frog tricks a giant ogre into believing the frog is the bigger and more powerful of the two, so that the ogre will stop eating the forest animals."

Title: Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen
Author: DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Publisher: Marrow Junior Books, 1991
"A boy spends the day with Uncle Willie in the soup kitchen where he works preparing and serving food for the hungry."

back to subjects
       

History

Title: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
A Message from Chief Seattle as told by Susan Jeffers   Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Dial Books
"A Suquamish Indian chief describes his people's respect and love for the earth, and concerns for its destruction." The book also introduces how the Indians were driven from their lands.

Title: In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys
Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2001
Not a picture book for pre-schoolers. This is written at a grade 3 and up level and is a non-fiction with excellent information and illustrations.
 
Title: A String of Beads
Author: Margarette S. Reid,  Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Dutton, 1997
Both an introduction to an art activity and a history of beads.

back to subjects

Homes

Title: Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs
Author: Ashman, Linda    Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Harcourt, Inc, 2001
"Describes some of the unique places where animals build their homes." Last picture shows children asleep in their home.

* Title: One Little Mouse
Author: Dori Chaconas   Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2002
"Woodland animals, from two moles to ten opossums, offer to share their homes with a little mouse who is dissatisfied with his own."

Title: A New Room for William
Author: Sally Grindley   Illustrator: Carol Thompson
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2000
"When William and his mother move, he is unhappy about having a new room, but he changes his mind after he gets dinosaur wallpaper and makes a new friend."

Illness

Title: Chicken Soup
Author: Jean Van Leeuwen     Illustrator: David Gavril
Publisher: Abrams, 2009
"When they hear that Mrs. Farmer is making soup, all the frightened chickens run for their lives, but Mr. Farmer finds Little Chickie, who has a bad cold, and he takes her to the kitchen.'

Title: Feel Better, Ernest!
Author: Gabrielle Vincent
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1988
"Celestine the mouse, takes very good care of his friend, Ernest the bear, while he is sick."

* Title: Furry
Author: Holly Keller
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1992
  "Laura's allergies make it difficult for her to find a pet she likes, until her brother brings home a surprise."

Title: Kathy's Hats: A Story of Hope
Author: Trudy Krishner    Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 1992
Kathy learns to face her cancer and the resulting loss of hair with courage and humor.

Title: Old Mother Witch
Author: Carol Carrick   Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1975
"While playing a harmless Halloween prank on crabby "old mother witch" David discovers she has had a heart attack and his make-believe night of terror becomes all too real."

Title: When Francie was Sick
Author: Holly Keller
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1985
"When Francie is sick and cannot go to school, Mama takes good care of her."

back to subjects

Imagination

Title: Alice's Blue Cloth
Author: Deborah van der Beek
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1988
  Alice, a little girl, uses a blue cloth she finds for all kinds of imaginative play.

Title: Car Wash
Author: Sandra and Susan Steen  Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001
"While sitting inside their car, two children enjoy the soapy sights and watery sounds of the car wash." The car becomes a submarine and the carwash a trip in the ocean.

Title: The Dot
Author: Peter H. Reynolds
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2003
Vashti's art teacher shows her that she can draw and be imaginative.

* Title: Dumpy La Rue
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop  Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2001
"A rhyming story about a pig whose passion for dancing becomes contagious." Pig listens to the music inside of him and teaches the other farm animals to do the same.

Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2006
  "An imaginative, wordless story of a boy discovering a magical camera that has taken pictures of life under the sea."

Title: Frida
Author: Jonah Winter    Illustrator: Ana Juan
Publisher: Levine Books, 2002
A picture book biography and inspirational story of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Title: How Are You Peeling: foods with moods
Author: Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999
This book uses photographs of vegetables that have been decorated in such a way that explore human emotions. Very imaginative use of vegetables.

*Title: Just How Long Can a Long String Be!
Author and Illustrator: Keith Baker
Publisher: Scholastic, 2009
"Be it tied to a balloon, or kite, or hanging a picture, or stinging a banjo or a mop, a bird explains to an ant how long a string needs to be."

* Title: Look Closer
Author & Photographer: Peter Ziebel
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1989
"Close-up photographs present unusual views of common items, such as a toothbrush, orange, or umbrella, accompanied by brief questions providing a clue to each object's identity."

Title: The Magical,  Mystical, Marvelous Coat
Author: Catherine Ann Cullen   Illustrator: David Christiana
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2001
"The unusual buttons from a young girl's favorite coat provide magical assistance to a giant, a swan, some sailors, a wizard, some rabbits, and an elf."

Title: Mud is Cake
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan   Illustrator: David McPhail
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2002
"A brother and a sister find that when they use their imagination mud can become cake and they themselves can become almost anything."

Title: My Bunny and Me
Author: Lindsay Barrett George
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
"A young boy describes the things he would do if the rabbit in his drawing were real"

Title: My Many Colored Days
Author: Dr. Suess    Paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996
"This rhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turn is associated with specific emotions."

Title: Nurse Lugton's Curtain
Written by Virginia Woolf     Illustrator: Julie Vivas
Publisher: Harcourt Books, 2004 (redesigned edition)
  "As Nurse Lugton dozes, the animals on the patterned curtain she is sewing come alive."

Title: Puff, the Magic Dragon
Authors: Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton     Illustrator: Eric Puybaret
Publisher: Sterling, 2006
"The adventures of a boy and his dragon friend are recounted in this classic song from the 1960s."

Title: Read All About It
Author: Laura Bush  and Jenna Bush     
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
 "Tyrone rules the school! He's king of the monkey bars, a math machine, and a science whiz. The only thing he doesn't like about school is reading. Books are so boring! But when strange visitors start dropping by the classroom for story hour, Tyrone discovers there's more to books than just words on pages."

Title: A Road Might Lead to Anywhere
Author: Rachel Field   Illustrated by Giles Laroche
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1990
"After reading about faraway lands, a young girl closes her eyes and imagines all the wonderful places a road could take you to, from a cave full of treasures, to a witch's house and even to Mexico."

Title: The Three Pigs
Author and Illustrator:  David Wiesner
Publisher: Clairon Books, 2001
A tradition story with a twist. "The three pigs escape the wolf by going into another world where they meet the cat and the fiddle, the cow that jumped over the moon, and a dragon." Caldecott Award Winner, 2002

Title: The Tin Forest
Author: Helen Ward   Illustrator: Wayne Anderson
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 2001
"In the middle of a windswept wasteland full of discarded scrap metal lives a sad and lonely old man. In spite of his gloomy surroundings, he dreams every night of a lively forest full of birds and animals. When he finds a broken light fixture that looks like a flower, an idea begins to grow in his mind..."

back to subjects

Insects

Title: Diary of a Spider
Author: Doreen Cronin       Illustrator: Harry Bliss
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books, 2005
"A young spider discovers, day by day, that there is a lot to learn about being a spider, including how to spin webs and avoid vacuum cleaners."

*Title: Fancy Nancy, Bonjour, Butterfly
Author: Jane O'Connor    Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
"Nancy is furious when she cannot go to her friend Bree's butterfly-themed birthday party, but her family's outing might just be extraordinary enough to make her feel better."

Title: The Very Busy Spider
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1984
" The farm animals try to divert a busy spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness."

* Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1969
  Describes the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It also covers the days of the week and counting.

* Title: Waiting for Wings
Author and Illustrator Lois Ehlert
Publishing: Harcourt, 2001
Readers follow the cycle of the butterfly from egg to flight to new eggs. The last few pages also has Butterfly Information, Flower Identification, and Growing a Butterfly Garden.

* Title: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Retold by Verna Aardema,  Illustrator: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial, 1975
A West African Tale. "Mosquito tells Iguana a tall tale that sets off a chain reaction that ends up in jungle disaster. Caldecott Award Winner, 1976

back to subjects

 Jobs

Title: Amelia Bedelia
Author: Peggy Parish,  Illustrator: Fritz Siebel
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1963
Amelia Bedelia is hired as a housekeeper but takes the list of things to do too literally.

* Title: I'm Dirty!
Author: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2006
A backhoe loader is reporting for work and he loves his dirty job.

Title: In the Middle of the Night
Author: Kathy Henderson     Illustrator: Jennifer Eachus
Publisher: MacMillian, 1992
"During the night while almost everyone is asleep, cleaners, bakers, astronomers, nurses, doctors, and many others carry on with their work."

Title: My Dad Takes Care of Me
Author: Patricia Quinlan    Illustrations: Vlasta van Kampen
Publisher: Annick Press, 1987
The Father lost his job and the Mother gets one and now the little boy is taken care of by his Dad.

Title: My Day, Your Day
Author: Robin Ballard
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
  "Children have a busy day at day care while their parents have a busy day at work."

Title: Officer Buckle and Gloria
Author and Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: Penguin Putman, 1995
"The children at Napville Elementary School always ignores Officer Buckle's safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives safety speeches." Caldecott Award Winner, 1996

Title: When Dad's At Sea
Author: Mindy L. Pelton     Illustrator: Robert Gannt Steele
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Co., 2004
  "Emily, whose father is a Navy pilot, has to deal with the separation of her family while her dad is deployed aboard a ship."

Title:  ZaZa's Big Break
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher:  Harper & Row, 1989
Zaza is an actress in her family's theater troupe. She is invited to Hollywood to audition for a role in a TV show and finds out that acting on TV is much different than the stage. She makes a big decision about it.

back to subjects
   
    

 July 4th

Title: America the Beautiful
Author: Katharine Lee Bates   Illustrator: Neil Waldman
Publisher: Aladdin paperbacks, 2002
"An illustrated edition of the nineteenth-century poem, later set to music, celebrating the beauty of America."

Title: Happy Birthday, America
Author: Chall, Marsha Wilson   Illustrator: Guy Porfirio
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2000
"Joined by an army of aunts, uncles, and cousins, eight-year-old Kay and her family celebrate the Fourth of July."

Title: McDuff Saves the Day
Author: Rosemary Wells   Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2002
  "Fred, Lucy, the Baby and McDuff go to the lake for a Fourth of July picnic, but when ants consume all of their food it's up to McDuff, the pet dog, to find something for them to eat."

*Title: Yankee Doodle
Adapted by: Mary Ann Hoberman     Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
 "Expands on the familiar song to include a girl, a poodle, a toad, and a rooster who, along with Yankee Doodle open a restaurant called Yankee Doodle's Noodles."

back to subjects

Learning a New Skill

* Title: Whistle for Willie
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Publisher: Viking Press, 1964
Peter, longs to whistle for his dog, Willie.  He tries and tries and finally learns.

back to subjects

Math

Title: Math Curse
Author: Jon Scieszka   Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Viking, 1995
"When the teacher tell her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquires a math anxiety which becomes a real curse."

Title: Nene and the Horrible Math Monster
Author: Maria Villanueva      Illustrator: Ria Unson
Publisher: Polychrome Books, 1993
"Nene, a Filipino American girl, confronts the model minority myth that all Asians excel at mathematics, and in doing so, overcomes her fears."

Title: Sir Cumference and the Round Table: A Math Adventure
Author: Cindy Neuschwander    Illustrator: Wayne Geehan
Publisher: Charlesbridge, 1997
"When his knights get together, they sit at such a long table that everyone has to shout to be heard. Can Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter measure up to the challenge of building a better table?"
 

Monsters

Title: Abiyoyo
Author: Seeger, Pete    Illustrator: Michael Hays
Publisher: Fall River Music, 1986
  The little boy plays the ukelele and the father does magic tricks. "Banished from the town for making mischief, a little boy and his father are welcomed back when they find a way to make the dreaded giant Abiyoyo disappear."

*Title: Go Away, Big Green Monster
Author and Illustrator: Ed Emberley
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1992
"Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to held a child control nighttime fears of monsters."

Title: It's My Birthday
Author: Pat Hutchins
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1999
"Billy is reluctant to share his birthday presents with the other little monsters, but then something happens to make him change his mind."

Title: The Ogre and the Frog King
Author: Gregoire Solotareff
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1986
  "A frog tricks a giant ogre into believing the frog is the bigger and more powerful of the two so that the ogre will stop eating the forest animals."

*Title: There are Monsters Everywhere
Author and Illustrator: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Dial Books, 2005
"Every kid knows that monsters like to lurk in shadowy corners and other hiding places around the house. If only there were a way to scare them off once and for all. Well, this time our young hero has a plan, and it just may be foolproof."

* Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendack
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1984,1963
"A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king." Caldecott Award Winner, 1964

back to subjects

Mother's Day

Title: A Present for Mom
Author: Vivian French    Illustrator: Dana Kubick
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2002
"Stanley has trouble deciding what to give his mother for Mother's Day."

back to subjects

Moving

Title: Annie Bananie
Author: Leah Komaiko     Illustrator: Laura Cornell
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1987
"Sad because her best friend, Annie Bananie, is moving away, a little girl remembers all the fun they had together."

Title: A New Room for William
Author: Sally Grindley   Illustrator: Carol Thompson
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2000
"When William and his mother move, he is unhappy about having a new room, but he changes his mind after he gets dinosaur wallpaper and makes a new friend."

back to subjects

Music

Title: Abiyoyo
Author: Seeger, Pete    Illustrator: Michael Hays
Publisher: Fall River Music, 1986
  The little boy plays the ukelele and the father does magic tricks. "Banished from the town for making mischief, a little boy and his father are welcomed back when they find a way to make the dreaded giant Abiyoyo disappear."

* Title: Barn Dance!
Author: Bill Martin Jr., Illustrator: John Archambault
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1986
While a boy tries to sleep he hears square dance music and follows it out to the barn where the animals have gathered for a barn dance. A rhyming book.

Title: The Boy Who Loved the Rain
Author: Barbara Haupt     Illustrator: Tomek Bogacki
Publisher: North-South Books, 1991
  A little boy, who loves the rain, collects all the musical sounds the rain makes to share them with the people in the town."

Title: Bravo, Amelia Bedelia!
Author: Herman S. Parish III     Illustrator: Lynn Sweat
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1997
  "From the time she is sent to pick up the guest conductor, Amelia Bedelia's normal confusion causes quite an uproar at the school's concert."

* Title: Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andreae     Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1999
"Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance with all the other animals at the Jungle Dance, until he finds the right music."

Title: Puff, the Magic Dragon
Authors: Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton     Illustrator: Eric Puybaret
Publisher: Sterling, 2006
"The adventures of a boy and his dragon friend are recounted in this classic song from the 1960s."

Title: Too Big to Dance
Author: Doug Anderson     Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Publisher: Handprint Books, 2004
"Eloise, the gentle zebra, was just a bit too big to join in the manning down at the juke joint. That's the same juke joint where Corndog Willie and his Slackjaws were playing up a storm. Of course, it will be up to gracious Cecil, the alligator, and Woo, the considerate armadillo, to set matters right."

 

Nature        see also Science

Title: All about Seeds
Author: Susan Kuchalla    Illustrator: Jane McBee
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures present several kinds of seeds and show how they grow into plants."

Title: America the Beautiful
Author: Katharine Lee Bates   Illustrator: Neil Waldman
Publisher: Aladdin paperbacks, 2002
"An illustrated edition of the nineteenth-century poem, later set to music, celebrating the beauty of America.

Title: The Bear's Nature Guide
Authors: Stan and Jan Berenstain
Publishers: Random House, 1975
  "Almost everything small bears and kids need to know about....the animals, the plants, the earth itself, with actual facts about frogs, possums, birds, fish, trees, rocks, ladybugs, earthquakes...and lots more."

Title: Birds
Author: Kevin Henkes      Illustrator: Laura Dronzek
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2009
"Fascinated by the colors, shapes, sounds, and movements of the many different birds she sees through her window, a little girl is happy to discover that she and they have something in common."

Title: Bird's Nest
Author: Eileen Curran, Illustrator: Pamela Johnson
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"An introduction to bird's nests in simple language, explaining where and why they are built."

* Title: Bringing Down the Moon
Author: Emmett, Jonathan     Illustrator: Vanessa Cabban
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2001
"Mole is so taken with the beauty of the moon that he tries to get it from the sky, but eventually learns to appreciate it where it is."

Title: The Brook
Author: Tennyson, Alfred    Illustrator: Charles Micucci
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1994
"An illustrated presentation of the poem by a well-known nineteenth-century British poet, inspired by a brook that flowed near his house."

Title: Catching the Wind
Author: Joanne Ryder,   Illustrator: Michael Rothman
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1989
"Transformed into a bird for a day, a child joins a flock of wild geese in glorious flight."

Title: Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs
Author: Ashman, Linda    Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Harcourt, Inc, 2001
"Describes some of the unique places where animals build their homes." Last picture shows children asleep in their home.

Title: Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars
Author and Illustrator: Douglas Florian
Publisher: Harcourt, 2007
Poetry about outer space.
      
Title: Hello, Farm Animals
Author: Eileen Curran, Illustrator: June Goldsborough
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Depicts farm animals in their natural setting doing their customary activities."

Title: If You Want to See a Caribou
Author: Phyllis Root    Illustrator: Jim Meyer
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004
  "If you really want to see a woodland caribou, you might try going to a place forgotten by time."
       
Title: In the Moonlight, Waiting
Author: Carol Carrick,   Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Clarion, 1990
"In the spring during lambing time, a family wakes in the middle of the night to welcome Clover the sheep's new baby.

Title: In the Swim
Written and Illustrated by Douglas Florian
Publisher: Harcourt, 1997
Poems about sea creatures.
   
     
Title: Life in the Meadow
Author: Eileen Curran,  Illustrator: James Watling
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"A child explores a meadow in simple text and illustrations."

Title: Low Song
Author: Eve Merriam    Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001
"Rhyming text celebrates various aspects of the world, from falling leaves and falling snow to hushaby tunes and little new moons."
    
    
Title: Marcella and the moon
Author: Laura Jane Coats
Publisher: Macmillan, 1986
"Rather than swimming with the other ducks, Marcella likes to paint the moon as it goes through its phases."

Title: Mountain Dance
Author and Illustrator:  Thomas Locker
Publisher: Harcourt Inc., 2001
This book looks at the diverse type of mountains on earth.

Title: Mountains and Volcanoes
Author: Eileen Curran   Illustrator: James Watling
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Explains in simple language how mountains change and form, and how some begin as volcanoes."

Title: Mister Seahorse
Author: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2004
"After Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs on Mr. Seahorse's belly, he drifts through the water, greeting other fish fathers who are taking care of their eggs."

Title: Owl Moon
Author: Jane Yolen   Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1987
"On a winter's night under a full moon, father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl." Caldecott Award Winner, 1988

Title: Rain
Author: Robert Kalan   Illustrator:  Donald Crews
Publisher: Mulberry Books, 1978
"Brief text and illustrations describe a rain storm."

Title: Spots
Author: Carolyn Lesser    Illustrator: Laura Regan
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. 1999
"Spotted animals from around the world, including a leopard ray, ringed seals, reticulated giraffes, and tundra butterflies. It also introduces the numbers from one to ten."

Title: Time of Wonder
Author: Robert McCloskey
Publisher: Viking Press, 1957
Through the eyes of children, Robert McCloskey, displays the abundant nature of Maine.
Caldecott Award Winner, 1958

Title: A Tree is Nice
Author: Janice May Udry
Illustrator: Marc Simont
Publisher: Harpers/Collins, 1956
  "Trees are very nice. Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child."  Caldecott Award Winner, 1957

* Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1969
  Describes the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It also covers the days of the week and counting.

* Title: Waiting for Wings
Author and Illustrator Lois Ehlert
Publishing: Harcourt, 2001
Readers follow the cycle of the butterfly from egg to flight to new eggs. The last few pages also has Butterfly Information, Flower Identification, and Growing a Butterfly Garden.

Title: Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna
Author: Nancy White Carlstrom,  Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Publisher:  Macmillan, 1987
"Spending a day outdoors, Anna revels in the joys of sun, sky, grass, flowers, berries, frogs, ants, and beetles."

back to subjects
        

New Baby  also see Siblings

* Title: And Tango Makes Three
Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell         Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005
"At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches."

* Title: Hurry! Hurry!
Author: Eve Bunting   Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2007
"All the animals of the barnyard community hurry to greet their newest member, who is just pecking his way out of an egg."

Title: Let Me Tell You About My Baby
Author and Photographer: Roslyn Banish
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1982
Told from the big brother's point of view....the pain and the pleasure of having a new baby in the family.
   
     
Title: New Baby
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
A new mouse is born in the family and the youngest is not sure she wants one. A wordless story.

Title: The Night You Were Born
Author: Wendy McCormick,   Illustrator: Sophy Williams
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, 2000
"As he waits at home with his aunt for his baby sister to be born at the hospital, a young boy hears what his aunt did while waiting for him to be born."

Title: Oonga Boonga
Author: Frieda Wishinsky    Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1990
"Big brother Daniel seems to have just the right touch when it comes to making Baby Louise stop crying."

Title: Poppy's First Year
Author: Susan Williams
Publisher: Four Winds Press, 1989
  "During baby Poppy's first year, brother Sam is sometimes impatient, but usually proud."

back to subjects
       

Night Time

* Title: Barn Dance!
Author: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, Illustrator: Ted Rand
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1986
While a boy tries to sleep he hears square dance music and follows it to the barn where the animals have gathered for a barn dance. A Rhyming Book

Title: Bats at the Beach
Author and Illustrator: Brian Lies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2006
 "On a night when the moon can grow no fatter, bats pack their moon-tan lotion and baskets of treats and fly off for some fun at the beach."

Title:  A Book of Sleep
Author and Illustrator Il Sung Na
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007
Owl, who stays awake all night, visits the animals that are sleeping.

Title: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!
Author and Illustrator: Diane deGroat
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2002
 "Gilbert's day camp is going on an overnight trip, and Gilbert expects nothing but fun. But when loudmouthed Lewis tells him about the Camp Hi-Dee-Ho ghost, he can't help but feel a little nervous. And when he has to go outside in the middle of the night, it looks like he may have to confront his fears face-to-face."

*Title: A Good Night Walk
Author and Illustrator: Elisha Cooper
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2005
  "A parent takes his/her child on a journey through a neighborhood and shown the sights, sounds, and smells as evening approaches."

*Title: Henry's Night
Author: D.B. Johnson and Linda Michelin      Illustrator: D. B. Johnson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009
"A story inspired by David Thoreau Walden. D. B. Johnson recreates the wonder of Henry David Thoreau's moonlit walks and show us Henry's magical encounter with a night bird."

*Title: The House in the Night
Author: Susan Marie Swanson     Illustrator: Beth Krommes
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008
"Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing---a key, a bed, a book, a light, the moon---this timeless good night book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe."

* Title: I Stink!
Authors: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins,  2002
At night, while everyone else is sleeping, the garbage truck makes its rounds.

Title: In the Middle of the Night
Author: Kathy Henderson     Illustrator: Jennifer Eachus
Publisher: MacMillian, 1992
"During the night while almost everyone is asleep, cleaners, bakers, astronomers, nurses, doctors, and many others carry on with their work."

Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author: Maurice Sendak   
Publisher: Harper and Row, 1970
Mickey is awakened in the night and has an adventure in the night kitchen with the bakers.

Title: Owl Moon
Author: Jane Yolen   Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1987
"On a winter's night under a full moon, father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl." Caldecott Award Winner, 1988

back to subjects

Noise

Title: Big and Noisy Simon
Author: Joseph Wallace  Illustrator: Kevin O'Malley
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2001
"Simon cannot help being big and noisy, until he goes to Africa with his parents and watches a herd of elephants being big and noisy sometimes and silent when they need to be.

* Title: I'm Dirty!
Author: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2006
A backhoe loader is reporting for work and he loves his dirty job.

* Title: "Paddle," Said the Swan
Author: Gloria Damen
Publisher: Atheneum, 1989
  "Before falling asleep, a baby hears a variety of animal sounds."

Title: The Quiet Mother and the Noisy Little Boy
Author: Charlotte Zolotow     Illustrator: Marc Simont
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1953
"A noisy little boy discovers the pleasure of a quiet moment with his mother after his very noisy cousin pays a visit to their house."

*Title: Waking Up Wendell
Author: April Stevens    Illustrator: Tad Hills
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007
  "Early in the morning a bird begins to sing at #1 Fish Street, waking the man next door and his dog, and before long, as one noise leads to another everyone on the street is awake."

back to subjects

Non-Fiction

Title: A is for Abigail: an Almanac of Amazing American Women
Author: Lynne Cheney     Illustrator:  Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2003
  Starting with the letter "A" this book takes a name such as Abigail Adams and discusses her achievements or takes the letter to represent a subject such as "E" for educators and briefly discusses several women in the field.

Title: All about Seeds
Author: Susan Kuchalla    Illustrator: Jane McBee
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures present several kinds of seeds and show how they grow into plants."

Title: Bird's Nest
Author: Eileen Curran, Illustrator: Pamela Johnson
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"An introduction to bird's nests in simple language, explaining where and why they are built."

Title: Look Closer!
Author: Peter Ziebel
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1989
  "Close-up photographs present unusual views of common items, such as a toothbrush, orange, or umbrella, accompanied by brief questions providing a clue to each object's idenity."

Title: Mountains and Volcanoes
Author: Eileen Curran   Illustrator: James Watling
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Explains in simple language how mountains change and form, and how some begin as volcanoes."

Title: Now I know Animals at Night
Author: Sharon Peters,  Illustrated by Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1983
"Text and illustrations describe various nocturnal animals and their habits."

Title: Now I know Turtles
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig.   Illustrator: Kathie Kelleher
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce the turtle, the animal that carries its home on its back."

Title: Poppy's First Year
Author: Susan Williams
Publisher: Four Winds Press, 1989
  "During baby Poppy's first year, brother Sam is sometimes impatient, but usually proud." The story also talks about the development of the baby during her first year of life.

Title: Rain
Author: Robert Kalan   Illustrator:  Donald Crews
Publisher: Mulberry Books, 1978
"Brief text and illustrations describe a rain storm."

Title: So, You Want to Be President
Author: Judith St. George      Illustrator: David Small
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2000
 "Presents an assortment of facts abut the qualifications and characteristics of U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton." Caldecott Award Winner, 2001

Title: A String of Beads
Author: Margarette S. Reid    Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 1997
   This book describes the different kinds of beads there are as well as their history and how to make beads.

Title: Waiting for Wings
Author and Illustrator Lois Ehlert
Publishing: Harcourt, 2001
Readers follow the cycle of the butterfly from egg to flight to new eggs. The last few pages also has Butterfly Information, Flower Identification, and Growing a Butterfly Garden.

Title: What is a fish
Author: David Eastman,  Illustrator: Lynn Sweat
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
Brief text covering the basic facts about fish.

Title: What's Under the Ocean
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig,   Illustrator: Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce some animals and plants that live in the ocean."

Pets

*Title: Big Cat Pepper
Author: Elizabeth Partridge        Illustrator: Lauren Castillo
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2009
"Big Cat Pepper has always been part of the family, but after he grows very old and dies, the boy who loves him comes to understand his mother's reassurance that "his spirit is forever and can fly, fly, fly."

Title: The Biggest Bear
Author: Lynd Ward
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1952
This book won the Caldecott award in 1953 and is still popular with children. Johnny goes out to shoot a bear and ends up bringing a cub home as a pet instead. Unfortunately, the bear outgrows his home and Johnny has to find a new home for him. Caldecott Award Winner, 1953

Title: The Bug Cemetery
Author: Frances Hill    Illustrator: Vera Rosenberry
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, 2002
"Neighborhood children imaginatively stage funerals for dead bugs, but they experience real sadness following the death of a pet."

Title: Carl's Sleepy Afternoon
Author: Alexandra Day
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2005
A mother and her little girl go shopping and Carl, the dog, has a very busy afternoon.

Title: Don't Take your Snake for a Stroll
Author: Karin Ireland     Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2003
"Mayhem ensues when a little boy takes unusual pets like a rhinoceros and a kangaroo to places usually reserved for people."

* Title: Furry
Author: Holly Keller
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1992
  "Laura's allergies make it difficult for her to find a pet she likes, until her brother brings home a surprise.

"Title: Goodbye Mousie
Author: Robie H. Harris    Illustrator: Jan Ormerod
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001
  "A boy grieves for his dead pet Mousie, helps to bury him, and begins to come to terms with his loss."

*Title: I Don't Want a Posh Dog!
Author and Illustrator: Emma Dodd
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2008
"A girl describes in rhyming text the types of dogs she does not want, and finally arrives at a dog that she can call her own."

Title: I Had a Cat
Author: Mona Rabun Reeves,  Illustrator: Julie Downing
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1989
"The owner of a cat, dog, bird, ape, frog, elk, deer, and a multitude of other animals finds new homes for all but one."

Title: I Love My Buzzard
Author: Tres Seymour    Illustrator: S. D. Schindler
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1994
"A child's beloved pets; including a warthog, bat, and squid; become less important when they drive Mother away."

* Title: If You Take a Mouse to School
Author:  Laura Numeroff      Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publisher: Laura Geringer Books, 2002
The adventures of a mouse going to school with his human boy.

Title: Jimmy's Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash
Author: Trinka Hakes Noble,   Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: Dial Books, 1989
"Jimmy's birthday party a SeaLand turns out to be a big splash when everyone ends up in a big tank."

Title: Kitten Day
Author Jan Ormerod
Publisher: William Morrow and Company, 1989
"A girl feeds, plays with and admires her kitten, who will some day become a grown-up cat, a 'sit-upon-my-lap-cat'."

* Title: Kitten's First Full Moon
Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2004
  "When kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2005

Title: Lottie's Circus
Author: Joan W. Blos,  Illustrator: Irene Trivas
Publisher: Morrow and Company, 1989
"Lottie imagines that she and her cat, Famous, are the stars of a wonderful circus."

Title: McDuff Goes to School
Author: Rosemary Wells    Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2001
  "When McDuff and his new French-speaking neighbor's dog are enrolled in obedience school, it seems as though McDuff has not learned his lessons."

Title: McDuff Saves the Day
Author: Rosemary Wells   Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2002
  "Fred, Lucy, the Baby and McDuff go to the lake for a Fourth of July picnic, but when ants consume all of their food it's up to McDuff, the pet dog, to find something for them to eat."

Title: More Alex and the Cat
Author: Helen V. Griffith     Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1983
  "The cat teaches Alex the dog a few more lessons and visa versa."

Title: My Cat, The Silliest Cat in the World
Author: Gilles Bachelet
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2006
"An artist describes his cat, (actually an elephant) who can usually be found either sleep or eating."

Title: The Mysterious Tadpole
Author: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: Dial Books, 1977
"It soon becomes clear that Louis's pet tadpole is not turning into an ordinary frog."

*Title: Olivia ...and the Missing Toy
Author and Illustrator: Ian Falconer
Publisher: Atheneum Books, 2003
"When her best toy mysteriously disappears, Olivia, the feisty pig is determined to find out who is responsible."

Title: The Saucepan Game
Author: Jan Ormerod
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1989
"Baby and cat have a lot of fun playing with a saucepan."

*Title: Soft House
Author: Jane Yolen    Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2005
 "On a rainy afternoon, a little brother and big sister make a cozy house from blankets and cushions with the help of Mr. Cat."

Title: The Take-Along Dog
Author: Barbara Ann Porte,    Illustrator: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1989
"Because Mother does not like dogs, Sam and Abigail must take Benton with them everywhere, including trying to sneak him into the movies, the library, and the swimming pool."

*Title: Wabi Sabi
Author: Mark Reibstein    Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2008
"Wabi Sabi, a cat living in the city of Kyoto, learns about the Japanese concept of beauty through simplicity as she asks various animals she meets about the meaning of her name." Includes Haiku.

Title: Where is that Cat?
Author: Carol Greene   Illustrator: Loretta Krupinski
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 1999
"While trying to give away the cat she has found. Miss Perkins gradually grows fond enough of him that she decides to keep him."

* Title: Whistle for Willie
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Publisher: Viking Press, 1964
Peter, longs to whistle for his dog, Willie.  He tries and tries and finally learns.

* Title: Who Wants Arthur?
Author: Amanda Graham    Illustrator: Donna Gynell
Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1987
"Arthur, a dog in a pet store waiting to be adopted, takes on the identities of other animals he thinks might be more appealing, until discovering that he can be a success as himself."

back to subjects

Poetry

Title: A Hippopotamusn't
Author: Patrick Lewis     Illustrator: Victoria Chess
Publisher: Dial Books, 1990
"More than thirty mostly humorous poems about a variety of animals."

Title: The Book That Jack Wrote
Author: Jon Scieszka    Illustrator: Daniel Adel
Publisher: Viking, 1994
A humorous version of the poem "This is the House that Jack Built"

Title: The Brook
Author: Tennyson, Alfred    Illustrator: Charles Micucci
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1994
"An illustrated presentation of the poem by a well-known nineteenth-century British poet, inspired by a brook that flowed near his house."       

Title: The Cat & the Fiddle & More
Author: Jim Aylesworth   Illustrator: Richard Hull
Publisher: Atheneum, 1992
  "Presents new variations on the traditional rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle."   

Title: Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars
Author and Illustrator: Douglas Florian
Publisher: Harcourt, 2007
Poetry about outer space.   

Title: Dirt on My Shirt
Author: Jeff Foxworthy    Illustrator: Steve Bjorkman
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
Funny, short poems that center around a child's life, such as: friends, family, animals...ect

Title: Don't Bump the Gump and Other Fantasies
Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1964
 Short poems about made-up animals.

Title: Here's a Little Poem: A very first book of poetry
Poems collected by: Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters   Illustrated by: Polly Dunbar
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2007
 "More than sixty poems by a wide range of talented writers from Margaret Wise Brown to Langston Hughes to Hilaire Belloc. From getting up in the morning through enjoying the adventures of the day to a cozy bedtime, this perceptive collection depicts a toddler's day from dawn to dusk."

Title: In the Swim
Written and Illustrated by Douglas Florian
Publisher: Harcourt, 1997
Poems about sea creatures.

Title: A Light in the Attic   
Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1981
Call Number:  811.54 S587
Fun and silly poems that often speak to a child's daily life.

Title: Mites to Mastodons: A Book of Animal Poems
Author: Maxine Kumin     Illustrator: Pamela Zagrenski
Publisher: Houghton/Mifflin Books, 2006
 Poems about animals.

Title: Mrs. Brown on Exhibit and other Museum Poems
Author: Susan Katz    Illustrator: R. W. Alley
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002
"Poems about what the students in Mrs. Brown's class see and do during their school field trips to a variety of museums. Includes a list of some museums in different states."

Title: The Owl and the Pussy-Cat: and other nonsense poems
Written by Edward Lear,   Selected and Illustrated by Michael Hague
Publisher: North-South Books, 1995
 "The verses are culled from various volumes of Lear's published works."

Title: Runny Babbit
Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2005
"Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends, Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own."

*Title: Wabi Sabi
Author: Mark Reibstein    Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2008
"Wabi Sabi, a cat living in the city of Kyoto, learns about the Japanese concept of beauty through simplicity as she asks various animals she meets about the meaning of her name." Includes Haiku.

Real People

Title: My Name is Georgia: a Portrait
Author and Illustrator: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Harcourt, 1998
"From the time she was a young girl, Georgia O'Keeffe saw the world in her own way.  And she always knew what was in her heart -- to be an artist."

Title: Snowflake Bentley
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin,  Illustrator:  Mary Azarian
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1998
A true story about a boy who loved snow and through photography made it his life's work. Caldecott Award Winner, 1999

 

Religion

Title: Brother Francis and the friendly beasts
Author: Margaret Hodges,  Illustrator: Ten Lewin
Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1991
The story of Francis of Assisi
   
   
Title: On Hanukkah
Author: Cathy Goldberg Fishman,   Illustrator: Melanie W. Hall
Publisher: Atheneum, 1998
A family celebration of Hanukkah.

back to subjects
        

Rhyming

* Title: April Foolishness
Author: Teresa Bateman    Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co., 2004
"Grandma and Grandpa and the grandkids enjoy April Fool's Day on the farm."

 * Title: Barn Dance!
Author: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault,  Illustrator: Ted Rand
Publisher:  Henry Holt and Company, 1986
While a boy tries to sleep he hears square dance music and follows it out to the barn where the animals have gathered for a barn dance. A rhyming book.

Title: Bats at the Beach
Author and Illustrator: Brian Lies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2006
 "On a night when the moon can grow no fatter, bats pack their moon-tan lotion and baskets of treats and fly off for some fun at the beach."

* Title: Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson      Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002
"On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleep bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun."

Title: The Book That Jack Wrote
Author: Jon Scieszka    Illustrator: Daniel Adel
Publisher: Viking, 1994
A humorous version of the poem "This is the House that Jack Built"

Title: Bounce
Authors: Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin
Publisher: Atheneum books for young readers, 2007
"Rhyming text offers advice on the best ways for toddlers to bounce."
   
 
Title: The Cat & the Fiddle & More
Author: Jim Aylesworth,  Illustrator: Richard Hull
Publisher: Atheneum, 1992
This book takes the original poem of the Hey Diddle Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle and creates several variations of it.

* Title: Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom
Authors: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault       Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1989
  "An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree."

*Title: Chicky Chicky Chook Chook
Author:  Cathy MacLennan
Publisher: Boxer Books, 2007
"Chicks, Kitties and buzzy bee, peck, fizz and scatter in the early morning sunshine. Soon it is time to snooze and snuggle in the shade from the midday sun."

Title: Don't Take your Snake for a Stroll
Author: Karin Ireland     Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2003
"Mayhem ensues when a little boy takes unusuall pets like a rhinoceros and a kangaroo to places usually reserved for people."

* Title: Dumpy La Rue
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop  Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2001
"A rhyming story about a pig whose passion for dancing becomes contagious."

Title: Engelbert the Elephant
Author: Tom Paxton,   Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: William Morrow and Company, 1990
"An elephant's dancing skills and good manners surprise everyone at the royal ball, including the Queen." A rhyming story

*Title: Flip, Flap, Fly
Author: Phyllis Root    Illustrator: David Walker
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2009
A rhyming story of baby animals learning new skills.

Title: Give the Dog a Bone
Adapted and illustrated by: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2000
   A silly version of Nick-Nack paddywhack, give the dog a bone.

Title: Horton Hatches the Egg
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House, 1968
"A lazy bird talks Horton, the elephant, into sitting on her egg while she takes a long break."

*Title: I Don't Want a Posh Dog!
Author and Illustrator: Emma Dodd
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2008
"A girl describes in rhyming text the types of dogs she does not want, and finally arrives at a dog that she can call her own."

* Title: I'm as Quick as a Cricket
Author: Audrey Wood   Illustrator: Don Wood
Publisher: Child's Play, 1982
With a gentle rhythm, this book explores how a boy describes himself using animals as a reference.

Title: Low Song
Author: Eve Merriam    Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001
"Rhyming text celebrates various aspects of the world, from falling leaves and falling snow to hushaby tunes and little new moons."

Title: The Magical,  Mystical, Marvelous Coat
Author: Catherine Ann Cullen   Illustrator: David Christiana
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2001
"The unusual buttons from a young girl's favorite coat provide magical assistance to a giant, a swan, some sailors, a wizard, some rabbits, and an elf."

Title: My Many Colored Days
Author: Dr. Suess    Paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996
"This rhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turn is associated with specific emotions."

* Title: The Napping House
Author: Audrey Wood    Illustrator: Don Wood
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1984
"In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion with just one bite."

* Title: Never, Ever Shout at the Zoo
Author: Karma Wilson   Illustrator: Doug Cushman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
"Rhyming text depicts the chaos caused by shouting at the zoo."

* Title: One Little Mouse
Author: Dori Chaconas   Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2002
"Woodland animals, from two moles to ten opossums, offer to share their homes with a little mouse who is dissatisfied with his own."

*Title: Raccoon Tune
Author: Nancy Shaw    Illustrator: Howard Fine
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2003
 "A family of raccoons prowls around a neighborhood making a ruckus until they find supper." A rhyming story.

Title: The Red Carpet
Author and Illustrator:  Rex Parkin
Publisher Macmillan, 1948
The hotel is laying out the red carpet for a special guest but the carpet gets its own ideas and keeps on rolling through the town and then the countryside. A rhyming story.

*Title: A Second is a Hiccup: a child's book of time
Author: Hazel Hutchins    Illustrator: Kady MacDonald Denton
Publisher: Scholastic, 2004
  "A rhyming story that speaks of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and a year."

Title: Tickle-Toe Rhymes
Author: Joan Knight    Illustrator: John Wallner
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1989
"Thirteen rhymes based on "This Little Pig Went to Market" which can be used to play with baby's toes."

Title: Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond
Author and Illustrator: Cathryn Falwell
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
"As they are startled by the activities of other nearby creatures, the number of turtles on a log in a pond decreases from ten to one."

Title: We Play
Author: Hoffman, Phyllis    Illustrator: Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Harper and Row, 1990
"A rhymed account of a child's fun-filled day at a nursery school."
   
    
Title: We're going on a Bear Hunt
Retold by Michael Rosen,   Illustrator: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher: Margaret K. McElberry, 1989
An old rhyming story that is usually told with gestures. 

Title: When Sheep Sleep
Author: Laura Joffe Numeroff     Illustrator: David McPhail
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2006
"Rhyming text suggests other options when one tries to count sheep but discovers that they are all asleep."

* Title: Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?
Authors: Bonnie Lass & Philemon Sturges   Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2000
"A skunk tries to find which of his animal friends stole the cookies."

* Title: Wild About Books
Author: Judy Sierra     Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004
  "A librarian named Molly McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake."

*Title: Yankee Doodle
Adapted by: Mary Ann Hoberman     Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
 "Expands on the familiar song to include a girl, a poodle, a toad, and a rooster who, along with Yankee Doodle open a restaurant called Yankee Doodle's Noodles."

back to subjects

School

Title: Barney is Big
Author: Nicki Weiss
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1988
"Before going off to his first day at nursery school, Barney and his mother recall what being a baby was like and discuss what a big boy he is now."

*Title: Big Bad Wolves at School
Author: Stephen Krensky  Illustrator: Brad Sneed
Publisher: Simon & Schuster,

Title: The Dot
Author: Peter H. Reynolds
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2003
Vashti's art teacher shows her that she can draw and be imaginative.

Title: First Day in Grapes
Author: L. King Perez       Illustrator: Robert Casilla
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2002
  "When Chico starts the third grade after his migrant family moves to begin harvesting California grapes, he finds that self confidence and math skills help him cope with the first day of school."

Title: First Day of School
Author: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher: Dial Books, 1983
"A little girl is not looking forward to her first day at nursery school until she makes friends with another new girl."

Title:  Good Morning, Maxine
Author and Illustrator: Denys Cazet
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1989
Maxine has quite an adventure getting to school.

Title: Hunter's Best Friend at School
Author: Laura Malone Elliott      Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002
  "Hunter, the raccoon, is not sure what he should do when his best friend Stripe starts acting up a school."

* Title: I Don't Want To!
Author: Sally Grindley    Illustrator: Carol Thompson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1990
"All young children worried about starting nursery school, as Jim is, will be reassured by this funny, satisfying story as they watch him finally change his mind."

* Title: If You Take a Mouse to School
Author:  Laura Numeroff      Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publisher: Laura Geringer Books, 2002
The adventures of a mouse going to school with his human boy.

*Title: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2007
"Her daddy in tow, Trixie hurries to school to show off her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny. But an awful surprise awaits her: someone else has the exact same bunny!"

*Title: Llama Llama Misses Mama
Author and Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Viking, 2009
"Llama Llama experiences separation anxiety on his first day of nursery school."

Title: Left Behind
Author: Carol Carrick    Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1988
"Christopher gets lost on the subway during an excursion to the aquarium and is afraid he'll never be reunited with his class."

*Title: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Author and Illustrator: Diane de Groat
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2003
"Gilbert cannot tell a lie: he's nervous. He's the star in a classroom play about George Washington and the cherry tree, but what if he makes a mistake? In this wise and funny tale of truth and lies (and butterflies), Gilbert finds out that practicing his lines is easier than practicing honesty--and that telling the truth is different from recognizing it."

Title: McDuff Goes to School
Author: Rosemary Wells    Illustrator: Susan Jeffers
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2001
  "When McDuff and his new French-speaking neighbor's dog are enrolled in obedience school, it seems as though McDuff has not learned his lessons."

Title: Miss Alaineus: a Vocabulary Disaster
Author: Debra Frasier
Publisher: Harcourt, 2000
"When Sage's spelling and definition of a word reveal her misunderstanding of it to her classmates, she is at first embarrassed, but then uses her mistake as inspiration for the vocabulary parade."

Title: Read All About It
Author: Laura Bush  and Jenna Bush     
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
 "Tyrone rules the school! He's king of the monkey bars, a math machine, and a science whiz. The only thing he doesn't like about school is reading. Books are so boring! But when strange visitors start dropping by the classroom for story hour, Tyrone discovers there's more to books than just words on pages."
       
Title: Spider School
Author: Francesca Simon   Illustrations: Peta Coplans
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1996
"Because Kate got out of bed, her first day at a new school proves to be a real nightmare with a gorilla for a teacher and spiders for lunch."

Title: Timothy Goes to School
Author/illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Dial Press, 1981
The first day of school and the difficulty of fitting in.

Title: Walking to School
Author: Ethel Turner     Illustrator: Peter Gouldthrope
Publisher: Orchard Books, 1988
"Relates, in verse, a little boy's efforts to be brave as he walks alone to school for the first time."

Title: We Play
Author: Hoffman, Phyllis    Illustrator: Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Harper and Row, 1990
"A rhymed account of a child's fun-filled day at a nursery school."

Title: What's the Recipe for Friends?
Author: Greg Williamson     Illustrator: Greg Abele
Publisher: Peerless Publishing, 1999
"A young boy named Freddy moves with his family to a new town. He is worried that he doesn't know how to make new friends. Luckily, his mom has the recipe!"

* Title: When Kangaroo Goes to School
Author: Sonia Levitin   Illustrated by Jeff Seaver
Publisher: Rising Moon, 2001
"Kangaroo learns the proper way to behave on the first day of school."
       
back to subjects       

Science

Title: All about Seeds
Author: Susan Kuchalla    Illustrator: Jane McBee
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures present several kinds of seeds and show how they grow into plants."

Title: Animals in Action
Author: Lorraine Salem Tufts
Publisher: National Photographic Collections, 1995
 A non-fiction book with photographs and facts on a variety of animals in the Western hemisphere.

Title: Bird's Nest
Author: Eileen Curran, Illustrator: Pamela Johnson
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"An introduction to bird's nests in simple language, explaining where and why they are built."

* Title: Bringing Down the Moon
Author: Emmett, Jonathan     Illustrator: Vanessa Cabban
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2001
"Mole is so taken with the beauty of the moon that he tries to get it from the sky, but eventually learns to appreciate it where it is."

Title: Catching the Wind
Author: Joanne Ryder,   Illustrator: Michael Rothman
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, 1989
"Transformed into a bird for a day, a child joins a flock of wild geese in glorious flight." The story gives quite a bit of accurate information concerning geese.
       
Title: Hello, Farm Animals
Author: Eileen Curran,    Illustrator: June Goldsborough
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Depicts farm animals in their natural setting doing their customary activities."

Title: I Face the Wind
Author: Vicki Cobb      Illustrator: Julie Gorton
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2003
"Introduces the characteristics and actions of the wind through simple hands-on activities."

Title: I Get Wet
Author: Vicki Cobb        Illustrator: Julia Gorton
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002
"Introduces the characteristic and actions of water through simple hands-on activities."
       
Title: Life in the Meadow
Author: Eileen Curran,   Illustrator: James Watling
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"A child explores a meadow in simple text and illustrations."

Title: Mountain Dance
Author and Illustrator:  Thomas Locker
Publisher: Harcourt Inc., 2001
This book looks at the diverse type of mountains on earth. There are two pages at the end that go into more detail about mountains.

Title: Mountains and Volcanoes
Author: Eileen Curran   Illustrator: James Watling
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1985
"Explains in simple language how mountains change and form, and how some begin as volcanoes."

Title: Mister Seahorse
Author: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2004
"After Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs on Mr. Seahorse's belly, he drifts through the water, greeting other fish fathers who are taking care of their eggs."

Title: Now I know Animals at Night
Author: Sharon Peters,  Illustrated by Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1983
"Text and illustrations describe various nocturnal animals and their habits."

Title: Now I know Turtles
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig.   Illustrator: Kathie Kelleher
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce the turtle, the animal that carries its home on its back."

Title: Rain
Author: Robert Kalan   Illustrator:  Donald Crews
Publisher: Mulberry Books, 1978
"Brief text and illustrations describe a rain storm."
   
    
Title: Snowflake Bentley
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin,  Illustrator:  Mary Azarian
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1998
A true story about a boy who loved snow and through photography made it his life's work. Caldecott Award Winner, 1999

* Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1969
  Describes the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It also covers the days of the week and counting.

* Title: Waiting for Wings
Author and Illustrator Lois Ehlert
Publishing: Harcourt, 2001
Readers follow the cycle of the butterfly from egg to flight to new eggs. The last few pages also has Butterfly Information, Flower Identification, and Growing a Butterfly Garden.

* Title: What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
Author: Steve Jenkins      Illustrator: Robin Page
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003
This book talks about what various animals do with different parts of their bodies, such as mouths, feet, and eyes.

Title: What is a fish
Author: David Eastman,  Illustrator: Lynn Sweat
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
Brief text covering the basic facts about fish.

Title: What's Under the Ocean
Author: Janet Palazzo-Craig,   Illustrator: Paul Harvey
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1982
"Brief text and pictures introduce some animals and plants that live in the ocean."
        
Back to subjects

Seasons

* Title: Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson      Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002
"On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleep bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun."

Title: Gregory's Shadow
Author: Don Freeman
Publisher: Viking, 2000
  "Gregory Groundhog and his shadow desperately look for each other after they become separated from one another just before their annual appearance on Groundhog Day."

Title: Here Comes Jack Frost
Author: Sharon Peters   Illustrator: Eulala Connor
Publisher: Troll Associates,  1981
"When the wind blows on a cold night, Jack Frost goes to work."

Title: In Window Eight, the Moon is Late
Author and Illustrator: Diane Worfolk Allison
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 1988
"At the end of a summer day a little girls goes through the house saying good-night to the various members of her family." The book also involves some counting and the summer season.

Title: The Itch Book
Author: Crescent Dragonwagon   Illustrator: Joseph Mahler
Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990
"Relates what happens on a hot day in the Ozarks when the heat makes everyone itch."

Title: Leaves
Author and Illustrator: David Ezra Stein
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007
 A young bear spends his first summer, fall and winter in the woods.

Title: The Mice Came in Early This Year
Author: Eleanor J. Lapp    Illustrated by David Cunningham
Publisher: Albert Whitman, 1976
  "A child observes the preparations made by his family and by the wild creatures outdoors as autumn approaches."

 Title: Oh Snow
Author: Monica Mayper,   Illustrator: June Otani
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1991
A little boy enjoys his first snow.

Title: Ox-cart Man
Author: Donald Hall
Illustrator: Barbara Cooney
Publisher: Viking Press, 1979
  "A lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one New Englander and his family." Caldecott Award Winner, 1980

Title: Snowflake Bentley
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin,  Illustrator:  Mary Azarian
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1998
A true story about a boy who loved snow and through photography made it his life's work. Caldecott Award Winner, 1999

* Title: The Snowy Day
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Viking Press, 1962
Waking up to snow, what could be better?  Caldecott Award Winner, 1963

back to subjects

Separation Anxiety

* Title: Come Along, Daisy!
Author: Jane Simmons
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1997
"Daisy the duckling becomes so engrossed in playing with dragonflies and lily pads that she temporarily loses her mother.

Title: Corduroy Lost and Found
Author: Barbara G. Hennessy    Illustrator: Jody Wheeler
Publisher: Viking, Penguin Group, 2006
 "Corduroy the teddy bear sets out one night to find a birthday present for his owner, Lisa, but soon realizes that he cannot find his way home."

*Title: Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale
Author and Illustrator:  Mo Williams
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2004
"Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny as been left behind."

*Title: Llama Llama Misses Mama
Author and Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Viking, 2009
"Llama Llama experiences separation anxiety on his first day of nursery school."

Title: Left Behind
Author: Carol Carrick    Illustrator: Donald Carrick
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1988
"Christopher gets lost on the subway during an excursion to the aquarium and is afraid he'll never be reunited with his class."

Title: Waiting for Mama
Author: Beatrice Schenk de Regniers,    Illustrator: Victoria de Larrea
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1984
"This story gives a child's-eye view of just how long a few minutes can be....when you are waiting for Mama."

Title: When Dad's At Sea
Author: Mindy L. Pelton     Illustrator: Robert Gannt Steele
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Co., 2004
  "Emily, whose father is a Navy pilot, has to deal with the separation of her family while her dad is deployed aboard a ship."

Title: You Go Away
Author: Dorothy Corey      Illustrator: Diane Paterson
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 1999
"Conveys everyday experiences of children briefly separated from their parents or caretakers and then reunited." Written for the very young child.

back to subjects

Sexual Abuse

Title: Not in Room 204
Author: Shannon Riggs    Illustrator: Jaime Zollars
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2007
"A teacher tells the children in her class to talk to an adult if they are being sexually abused."

back to subjects

Shapes

Title: Fire Engine Shapes
Author: Bruce McMillan
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1988
"Photographs of various parts of a fire engine depict different geometrical shapes."

Title: Museum Shapes
Author: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2005
Photographs of various pictures of art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the shapes that are found there.

back to subjects

Sharing

* Title: Big Brown Bear's Up and Down Day
Author and Illustrator: David McPhail
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc, 2003
"Bear is big, and bear is brown and bear lives all alone. And then one day, Bear discovers he has a small, gray problem.  Rat."

Title: Duck & Goose
Author: Tad Hills
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006
"Duck and Goose learn to work together to take care of a ball which they think is an egg."

* Title: Honey...Honey...Lion!: A Story from Africa
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2005
"After working together to obtain honey, the African honey badger always shares it with his partner, the honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson."

Title: It's My Birthday
Author: Pat Hutchins
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1999
"Billy is reluctant to share his birthday presents with the other little monsters, but then something happens to make him change his mind."

Title: The Little Red Hen
Author: Paul Galdone
Publisher: Clarion Books,  1973
The little red hen asks her friends for help in planting the wheat and caring for it and lastly making it into a cake. Her friends were too lazy to help and so little red hen eats the cake herself. 

Title: Saturday Belongs to Sara
Author: Cathy Warren     Illustrated by DyAnne Disalvo-Ryan
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1988
Sara and her mother have set aside a Saturday just for the two of them. Sara ends up having to share part of  her day with an elderly woman. At first she resents it but later realizes the visit made the day even more special.

back to subjects

Siblings   also see New Baby

Title: All About My Brother
Author and Illustrator: Sarah Peralta     Foreword by Brenda Smith Myles, Ph. D.
Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.,  2002
"A young author tell all about her brother who has autism."

Title: At Grammy's House
Author: Eve Rice,  Illustrator: Nancy Winslow Parker
Publisher:  Greenwillow, 1990
"A brother and sister spend a delightful day at Grammy's farmhouse."

Title: Becky the Brave: A Story About Epilepsy
Author: Laurie Lears        Illustrator: Gail Piazza
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2002
"Nothing seems to scare Sarah's big sister Becky, until having an epileptic seizure makes her reluctant to return to school, and so Sarah summons her own courage to explain the disease to the other students."

Title: Bunny Cakes
Author: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Dial, 1997
"Max makes an earthworm cake for Grandma's birthday and helps Ruby with her angel surprise cake. At the store, the grocer can't read all of the shopping list until Max solves the problem by drawing pictures."

Title: The Bunnies' Trip
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2008
Author: Lezlie Evans    Illustrator: Kay Sproat Chorao
The bunny family gets ready to take a vacation and visit family.

*Title: Clementine and Mungo
Author and Illustrator: Sarah Dyer
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2004
 "Clementine gives creative answers to the many questions that her younger brother asks. But when the lights go out and darkness creeps in, Clementine isn't always so confident and her loving little brother Mungo proves the he knows a thing or two as well."

Title: Emma's Yucky Brother
Author: Jean Little   Illustrator: Jennifer Plecas
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001
"Emma finds out how hard it is to be a big sister when her family adopts a four-year-old boy named Max."

Title: Little One Step
Author and Illustrator: Simon James    
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2003
  "As three duckling brothers cross forest and field to return to their mother, the older ones encourage the youngest by teaching him a game that earns him the name of Little One Step."

*Title: Max Counts His Chickens
Author and Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Viking, 2007
"Ruby finds one in the dollhouse, another in the soap dish, one more under her pillow. Soon Ruby can count ten chicks in her basket. Max has none. But count on Max to have the last laugh."

Title: Me Too! Me Too!
Author: Harriet Ziefert    Illustrator: Karen Gundersheimer
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
  "Molly and her little sister have fun playing indoors and outdoors on a rainy day."

Title: Oh No, Not Ghosts
Author: Richard Michelson      Illustrator: Adam McCauley
Publisher: Harcourt, 2006
  "An older brother "reassures" his younger sister abut all the creatures hat she imagines lurking in the dark bedroom, but his words only scare her more."

*Title: On Mother's Lap
Author: Ann Herbert Scott     Illustrator: Glo Coalson
Publisher: Clarion Books, 1992
"A small Eskimo boy discovers that Mother's lap is a very special place with room for everyone."

Title: Oonga Boonga
Author: Frieda Wishinsky    Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1990
"Big brother Daniel seems to have just the right touch when it comes to making Baby Louise stop crying."

Title: Poppy's First Year
Author: Susan Williams
Publisher: Four Winds Press, 1989
  "During baby Poppy's first year, brother Sam is sometimes impatient, but usually proud."

Title: Princess Pearl
Author: Nicki Weiss
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1986
  "Rosemary is mean to her younger sister Pearl until she sees Pearl's friend act mean toward her too."

Title: A Really Good Snowman
Author and Illustrator: Daniel J. Mahoney
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2005
"Jack does not always appreciate his little sister's assistance, but he come to understand why she like helping when she need an extra set of paws to build her entry in the Shady Woods Snowman Contest."

Title:  A Secret for Grandmother's Birthday
Author: Franz Brandenberg,  Illustrator: Aliki
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1975
"A brother and sister cat plan the secret gifts they will give grandmother cat for her birthday."

Title: Siesta
Author: Ginger Foglesong Guy     Illustrator: Rene King Moreno
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2005
"A brother and sister, and their teddy bear go through the house gathering items they will need for their siesta in the back yard." The story also emphasizes colors and is written in Spanish and English.

*Title: Soft House
Author: Jane Yolen    Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2005
 "On a rainy afternoon, a little brother and big sister make a cozy house from blankets and cushions with the help of Mr. Cat."
 

* Title: Tikki Tikki Tembo
Retold by Arlene Mosel    Illustrator: Blair Lent
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1968
A re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale about the dangers of giving first born sons long names.

Title: Zen Shorts
Author: Jon J. Muth
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2005
"When Stillwater the bear moves into the neighborhood, the stories he tells to three siblings teach them to look at the world in new ways." These stories are based on Zen short meditations.

*Title: You're All My Favorites
Author: Sam McBratney   Illustrator: Anita Jeram
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2004
  "Once upon a time, a Mommy Bear and a Daddy Bear told their three little cubs that they were the best baby bears in the whole wide world. But the time came when each of the siblings began to wonder. They couldn't all be the best They couldn't all be favorites. Or could they?"

back to subjects

Silly Stories

Title: Bravo, Amelia Bedelia!
Author: Herman S. Parish III     Illustrator: Lynn Sweat
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1997
  "From the time she is sent to pick up the guest conductor, Amelia Bedelia's normal confusion causes quite an uproar at the school's concert."

*Title: Chicken Little
Illustrators: Ed and Rebecca Emberley
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2009
"A retelling of the classic story of Chicken Little, who has an acorn fall on his head and runs in a panic to his friends Henny Penny, Lucky Ducky, Loosey Goosey, to tell them the sky is falling."

* Title: Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type
Author: Doreen Cronin   Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2000
"When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want."

Title: Don't Take your Snake for a Stroll
Author: Karin Ireland     Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2003
"Mayhem ensues when a little boy takes unusuall pets like a rhinoceros and a kangaroo to places usually reserved for people."

* Title: Dooby, Dooby, Moo
Author: Doreen Cronin    Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Atheneum Books, 2006
"While Farmer Brown sleeps, his animals prepare for a talent show at the county fair."

Title: Engelbert the Elephant
Author: Tom Paxton,   Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: William Morrow and Company, 1990
"An elephant's dancing skills and good manners surprise everyone at the royal ball, including the Queen." A rhyming story.

Title: Fat Chance Claude
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon,   Illustrator: Tracey Campbell Person
Publisher: Viking Press, 1987
"A zany Texas couple, Shirley and Claude, grow up and meet out in the gold mining hills of Colorado."

Title: The Gullywasher
Author & Illustrator: Joyce Rossi
Publisher: Northland Pub., 1996
"Leticia's grandfather, who was a vaquero as a young man, provides some fanciful explanations for how he got his wrinkles, white hair, round belly and stooped frame.

Title: Huge Harold
Author and Illustrator: Bill Peet
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1961
Harold, the rabbit, grew to be huge. He has some adventures and misfortunes along the way but ends up with a kind farmer and a good life. Told in rhyming phrases.

* Title: If You Give a Pig a Party
Author: Laura Numeroff       Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publisher: Laura Geringer Books, 2005
"One thing leads to another when you give a pig a party."

Title: My Cat, The Silliest Cat in the World
Author: Gilles Bachelet
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2006
"An artist describes his cat, (actually an elephant) who can usually be found either sleep or eating."

Title: The Mysterious Tadpole
Author: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: Dial Books, 1977
"It soon becomes clear that Louis's pet tadpole is not turning into an ordinary frog.".

* Title: The Napping House
Author: Audrey Wood    Illustrator: Don Wood
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1984
"In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion with just one bite."

* Title: Never, Ever Shout at the Zoo
Author: Karma Wilson   Illustrator: Doug Cushman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
"Rhyming text depicts the chaos caused by shouting at the zoo."

Title: Petunia
Author and Illustrator: Roger Duvoisin
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950
When Petunia, the duck, finds a book she thinks that if she carries it around she will be wise. However, she and her friends learn the hard way that carrying a book doesn't make one wise. Learning to read is important.

Title: The Red Carpet
Author and Illustrator:  Rex Parkin
Publisher Macmillan, 1948
The hotel is laying out the red carpet for a special guest but the carpet gets its own ideas and keeps on rolling through the town and then the countryside. A rhyming story.

Title: The Three Pigs
Author and Illustrator:  David Wiesner
Publisher: Clairon Books, 2001
A tradition story with a twist. "The three pigs escape the wolf by going into another world where they meet the cat and the fiddle, the cow that jumped over the moon, and a dragon." Caldecott Award Winner, 2002

Title: The Trouble with Elephants
Author and Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.,  1988
"A little girl describes the various problems with elephants, but decides the real trouble with elephants is that you can't help but love them."

Title: Uncle Henry & Aunt Henrietta's Honeymoon
Author: Nicole Rubel
Publisher: Dial, 1986
"While baby-sitting their niece and nephew, Uncle Henry and Aunt Henrietta relate their honeymoon adventures involving fierce tropical natives, a trek across Antarctica, and an ascent of Mount Everest."
    

* Title: What do you do with a Kangaroo?
Author & Illustrator: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Scholastic, 1973
"If a bossy kangaroo jumped through your window AND started telling you what to do AND refused to go away AND had all kinds of other animals joining him.....what would you do?" A wonderful rhythm to the words.

Title: When the Pigs Took Over
Author: Arthur Dorros     Illustrator: Diane Grenseid
Publisher: Dutton's Children's Books, 2002
"This is a riotous tale of two brothers--one small but enormously sensible, one big but a little crazy--
told with the warmth and sprinkling of Spanish found in Arthur Dorro's other books.

* Title: Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?
Authors: Bonnie Lass & Philemon Sturges   Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2000
"A skunk tries to find which of his animal friends stole the cookies."

*Title: Yankee Doodle
Adapted by: Mary Ann Hoberman     Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
 "Expands on the familiar song to include a girl, a poodle, a toad, and a rooster who, along with Yankee Doodle open a restaurant called Yankee Doodle's Noodles."

back to subjects
    

Spanish Language Books  see also Bilingual

Title: Barcos, Barcos, Barcos
Author: Joanna Ruane,  Illustrator: Patti Boyd
Publisher: Children's Press, 1990
Having fun with boats. Very simple sentences.

*Title: Just in Case
Author and Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2008
"As Senor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents but with the hope of Zelmiro the Ghost, he find the best gift of all." The alphabetical words are in Spanish.

Title: Manana, Iguana
Author: Ann Whitford Paul    Illustrator: Ethan Long
Publisher: Scholastic, 2005
An amusing story written in English and introducing the Spanish words for the days of the week and other words.

Title: Siesta
Author: Ginger Foglesong Guy     Illustrator: Rene King Moreno
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2005
"A brother and sister, and their teddy bear go through the house gathering items they will need for their siesta in the back yard." The story also emphasizes colors and is written in Spanish and English.

Title: When the Pigs Took Over
Author: Arthur Dorros     Illustrator: Diane Grenseid
Publisher: Dutton's Children's Books, 2002
"This is a riotous tale of two brothers--one small but enormously sensible, one big but a little crazy--told with the warmth and sprinkling of Spanish found in Arthur Dorro's other books."
 

back to subjects

Stealing

Title: It Wasn't Me
Author: Udo Weigelt
Publisher: North-South Books, 2001
  Ferret's luscious raspberries are missing. Mouse is sure he knows who the culprit is: Raven stole Hamster's gold, so she must be guilty. But Raven vehemently denies it and sets about unmasking the real thief. This story talks about the dangers of jumping to conclusions."

back to subjects
   
     

Thanksgiving

Title: Chester Chipmunk's Thanksgiving
Author: Barbara Williams   Illustrator: Kay Chorao
Publisher: E.P. Dutton, 1978
  "Chester Chipmunk can't seem to find anybody to share is Thanksgiving dinner."

Title: Thanksgiving Mice!
Author: Bethany Roberts    Illustrator: Doug Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2001
"A group of mice have some problems when they put on a play to commemorate the first Thanksgiving, but everything works out alright in the end."

Title: We Gather Together... Now Please Get Lost!
Author and Illustrator: Diane deGroat
Publisher: SeaStar Books, 2001
  "Uh-oh! It's the morning of the class trip to Pilgrim Town, and Gilbert wakes up late. That means he gets stuck with that annoying tattle-tale Philip as his partner for the whole day. Gilbert's determined to have fun on the trip--if only Philip would get lost! But soon Gilbert realizes you must be careful what you wish for..."

back to subjects

Time

Title: Bear Child's Book of Hours
Author: Anne Rockwell
Publisher: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1987
"For each hour of the day Bear Child participates in a new activity, and as he does the reader sees the time on the clock."

Title: Bunny Day: Telling Time from Breakfast to Bedtime
Author: Rick Walton   Illustrator: Paige Miglio
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002
"A bunny family spends the day together."

*Title: A Good Night Walk
Author and Illustrator: Elisha Cooper
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2005
  "A parent takes his/her child on a journey through a neighborhood and shown the sights, sounds, and smells as evening approaches."

*Title: A Second is a Hiccup: a child's book of time
Author: Hazel Hutchins    Illustrator: Kady MacDonald Denton
Publisher: Scholastic, 2004
  "A rhyming story that speaks of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and a year."

* Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1969
  Describes the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It also covers the days of the week and counting.

back to subjects

Transportation

Title: Car Wash
Author: Sandra and Susan Steen  Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001
"While sitting inside their car, two children enjoy the soapy sights and watery sounds of the car wash." The car becomes a submarine and the carwash a trip in the ocean.

* Title: I'm Dirty!
Author: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2006
A backhoe loader is reporting for work and he loves his dirty job.

* Title: I Stink!
Authors: Kate and Jim McMullan
Publisher: Harper/Collins,   2002
At night the noisy garbage truck picks up the trash around the city.

Title: My Car
Author: Barton, Bryon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2001
"Sam describes in loving detail his car and how he drives it."

*Title: The Wheels on the Race Car
Author: Alexander Zane   Illustrator: James Warhola
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2005
  "Get ready to zoom around the track with race cars, busy VROOMING and ZIPPING from start to finish."
        

Valentine's Day

Title: The Day It Rained Hearts
Author and Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1983
"On the day it rains hearts, Cornelia Augusta makes Valentine cards for four of her friends."

*Title: Love, Splat
Author and Illustrator: Rob Scotton
Publisher: Harper/Collins, 2008
"Splat the cat has a special valentine for a certain someone in his class."

Title: Mouse's First Valentine
Author: Lauren Thompson    Illustrator:  Buket Erdogan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002
"Early one morning Mouse follow his sister around the house. She's making something special. It's red and lacy and very pretty. What will it be?"

Title: Valentine's Day Grump
Author: Rose Greydanus     Illustrated by Don Page
Publisher: Troll Associates, 1981
"A Valentine might make Gus the grump happy but nobody dares give him one."

back to subjects

Violence

Title: It Doesn't have to be this way: a barrio story
Author: Luis J. Rodriguez  Illustrator;  Daniel Galvez
Publisher: Children's Book Press, 1999
In both Spanish and English. "A compelling tale of a young boy's encounter with the world of gangs."

Title: The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq
Author and Illustrator: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Harcourt, 2005
  "Alia Muhammad Baker is the librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand book within it--will be destroyed forever." This story tells how she saved most of the books.

 Title: Smoky Night
Author: Eve Bunting,  Illustrator: David Diaz
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1994
"When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the value of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality." Caldecott Award Winner, 1995

Back to subjects

Weather     See Also Seasons

Title: Amy Loves the Rain
Author: Julia Hoban    Illustrator: Lillian Hoban
Publisher: Harper and Rowe, 1989
"Amy and her mother drive through the rain to pick up Daddy."

Title: The Boy Who Loved the Rain
Author: Barbara Haupt     Illustrator: Tomek Bogacki
Publisher: North-South Books, 1991
  A little boy, who loves the rain, collects all the musical sounds the rain makes to share them with the people in the town."

Title: Gilberto and the Wind
Author: Marie Hall Ets
Publisher: Viking, 1963
Gilberto plays with and observes the wind.

Title: Here Comes Jack Frost
Author: Sharon Peters   Illustrator: Eulala Connor
Publisher: Troll Associates,  1981
"When the wind blows on a cold night, Jack Frost goes to work."

Title: The Itch Book
Author: Crescent Dragonwagon   Illustrator: Joseph Mahler
Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990
"Relates what happens on a hot day in the Ozarks when the heat makes everyone itch."

Title: Me Too! Me Too!
Author: Harriet Ziefert    Illustrator: Karen Gundersheimer
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
  "Molly and her little sister have fun playing indoors and outdoors on a rainy day."

* Title: Nicky and the Rainy Day
Author: Valeri Gorbachev
Publisher: Chersire Studio Book, 2002
  "It was a rainy day. Nicky and his brothers and sisters couldn't go out to play. But leave it to Nicky to come up with some exciting ideas for escaping the gloom--fantastic journeys to the desert, the mountains, the jungle, the South Pole and even outer space."

Title: Noah's Ark
Illustrator:  Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1977
 A wordless story of the traditional, biblical version of Noah's Ark  Caldecott Award Winner, 1978

 Title: Oh Snow
Author: Monica Mayper,   Illustrator: June Otani
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1991
A little boy enjoys his first snow.

Title: One Monday
Author: Amy Huntington
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2001
"Over the course of a week, the wind plays havoc all around Annabelle's farm."

* Title: Raindrop, Plop
Author: Wendy Cheyette Lewison     Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Viking, 2004
   "A young girl and her dog find many things to count on a rainy day, both as they play outside and after they come home to a warm, dry house."

* Title: The Snowy Day
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Viking Press, 1962
Waking up to snow, what could be better? Caldecott Award Winner, 1963

Title: Time of Wonder
Author: Robert McCloskey
Publisher: Viking Press, 1957
Through the eyes of children, Robert McCloskey, displays the abundant nature of Maine. The story also goes through the preparation for a hurricane, going through the hurricane and the after effects. Caldecott Award Winner, 1958

Back to subjects

Women

Title: A is for Abigail: an Almanac of Amazing American Women
Author: Lynne Cheney     Illustrator:  Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2003
  Starting with the letter "A" this book takes a name such as Abigail Adams and discusses her achievements or takes the letter to represent a subject such as "E" for educators and briefly discusses several women in the field.

Wordless Books

Title: The Christmas Gift
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
The mouse family gets ready and then celebrates Christmas.

Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2006
  "An imaginative, wordless story of a boy discovering a magical camera that has taken pictures of life under the sea." Caldecott Award Winner, 2007
        
Title: New Baby
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1988
A new mouse is born in the family and the youngest is not sure she wants one.

Title: Noah's Ark
Illustrator:  Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1977
 A wordless story of the traditional, biblical version of Noah's Ark  Caldecott Award Winner, 1978

back to subjects

Zoos

* Title: And Tango Makes Three
Authors: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell         Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2005
"At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches."

*
Title: Never, Ever Shout at the Zoo
Author: Karma Wilson   Illustrator: Doug Cushman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2004
"Rhyming text depicts the chaos caused by shouting at the zoo."

* Title: Sam Who Never Forgets
Author: Eve Rice
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1977
Sam feeds the zoo animals everyday at 3 o'clock but elephant is afraid that Sam has forgotten him.

* Title: Wild About Books
Author: Judy Sierra     Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004
  "A librarian named Molly McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake."

back to subjects

Caldecott Award Winners

Title: The Biggest Bear
Author: Lynd Ward
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1952
This book won the Caldecott award in 1953 and is still popular with children. Johnny goes out to shoot a bear and ends up bringing a cub home as a pet instead. Unfortunately, the bear outgrows his home and Johnny has to find a new home for him. Caldecott Award Winner, 1953

Title: A Tree is Nice
Author: Janice May Udry
Illustrator: Marc Simont
Publisher: Harpers/Collins, 1956
  "Trees are very nice. Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child."  Caldecott Award Winner, 1957

Title: Time of Wonder
Author: Robert McCloskey
Publisher: Viking Press, 1957
Through the eyes of children, Robert McCloskey, displays the abundant nature of Maine.
Caldecott Award Winner, 1958

* Title: The Snowy Day
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Viking Press, 1962
Waking up to snow, what could be better?  Caldecott Award Winner, 1963

* Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendack
Publisher: Harper & Row, 1984,1963
"A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king." Caldecott Award Winner, 1964

Title: A Story, A Story
Retold and Illustrated by Gail E. Haley
Publisher: Atheneum, 1970
  "Many African stories, whether or not they are about Kwaku Ananse the "spider man," are called "Spider Stories." This book is about how that came to be." Caldecott Award Winner, 1971

* Title: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Retold by Verna Aardema,  Illustrator: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial, 1975
A West African Tale. "Mosquito tells Iguana a tall tale that sets off a chain reaction that ends up in jungle disaster. Caldecott Award Winner, 1976

Title: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions
Author: Margaret Musgrove     Illustrators: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial, 1976
"Explains some traditions and customs of twenty-six African tribes beginning with the letters from A to Z." Caldecott Award Winner, 1977

Title: Noah's Ark
Illustrator:  Peter Spier
Publisher: Doubleday, 1977
 A wordless story of the traditional, biblical version of Noah's Ark  Caldecott Award Winner, 1978

Title: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Author: Paul Goble
Publisher: Bradbury Press, 1978
"Though she is fond of her people, a girl prefers to live among the wild horses where she is truly happy and free."
A story with a Native American backdrop. Caldecott Award Winner, 1979

Title: Ox-cart Man
Author: Donald Hall
Illustrator: Barbara Cooney
Publisher: Viking Press, 1979
  "A lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one New Englander and his family." Caldecott Award Winner, 1980

* Title: The Polar Express
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1985
"A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus." Caldecott Award Winner, 1986

Title: Hey, Al
Author: Arthur Yorinks    Illustrator: Richard Egielski
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1986
"Al, a janitor, and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a single room on the West Side and are very bored with their lives. Magically transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, they are soon living a life of ease and comfort but after a while the realize there is no place like home." Caldecott Award Winner, 1987

Title: Owl Moon
Author: Jane Yolen   Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Publisher: Philomel Books, 1987
"On a winter's night under a full moon, father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl." Caldecott Award Winner, 1988

 Title: Song and Dance Man
Author: Karen Ackerman,  Illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Publisher: Alfred A. Knoph,  1988
"Grandpa demonstrates for his visiting grandchildren some of the songs, dances, and jokes he performed when he was a vaudeville entertainer." Caldecott Award Winner, 1989

Title: Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China
Author/Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Philomel Books,  1989
"Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother."  Caldecott Award Winner, , 1990

Title: Mirette on the High Wire
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: Putnam & Grosset Group, 1997
"Mirette learns tightrope walking from Monsieur Bellini, a guest in her mother's boardinghouse, not knowing that he is a celebrated tightrope artist who has withdrawn from performing because of fear." Caldecott Award Winner, 1993

Title: Grandfather's Journey
Author: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993
"A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries." Caldecott Award Winner, 1994

Title: Smoky Night
Author: Eve Bunting,  Illustrator: David Diaz
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1994
"When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the value of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality." Caldecott Award Winner, 1995

Title: Officer Buckle and Gloria
Author and Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: Penguin Putman, 1995
Officer Buckle's safety tips talks at the school were always ignored until he started bringing his dog along Then Officer Buckle begins thinking that they don't need him just the dog. However, he learns it takes a team. Caldecott Award Winner, 1996

Title: Rapunzel
Retold and Illustrated by:  Paul O. Zelinsky
Publisher: Dutton's Children's Books, 1997
  "A retelling of the German folktale in which a beautiful girl with long golden hair is kept imprisoned in a lonely tower by a sorceress."  Caldecott Award Winner, 1998

Title: Snowflake Bentley
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin,  Illustrator:  Mary Azarian
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1998
A true story about a boy who loved snow and through photography made it his life's work. Caldecott Award Winner, 1999

Title: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Author and Illustrator: Simms Taback
Publisher: Viking, 1999
 "A very old overcoat is recycled numerous times into a variety of garments."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2000

Title: So, You Want to Be President
Author: Judith St. George      Illustrator: David Small
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2000
 "Presents an assortment of facts abut the qualifications and characteristics of U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton." Caldecott Award Winner, 2001

Title: The Three Pigs
Author and Illustrator:  David Wiesner
Publisher: Clairon Books, 2001
A tradition story with a twist. "The three pigs escape the wolf by going into another world where they meet the cat and the fiddle, the cow that jumped over the moon, and a dragon." Caldecott Award Winner, 2002

Title: My Friend Rabbit
Author: Eric Rohmann
Publisher: Roaring Book Press, 2002
 "When Mouse let his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind--but when Rabbit sets out to solve a problem, even bigger problems follow." Caldecott Award Winner, 2003

* Title: Kitten's First Full Moon
Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2004
  "When kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it."  Caldecott Award Winner, 2005

Title: The Hello, Goodbye Window
Author: Norton Juster     Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005
A child talks about visiting with her grandparents. Caldecott Award Winner, 2006

Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books, 2006
  "An imaginative, wordless story of a boy discovering a magical camera that has taken pictures of life under the sea." Caldecott Award Winner, 2007

back to subjects

Rocks1262.gif (8081 bytes)
You are visitor number:  Hit Counter

This page was created: 12/08/01 This page was last modified:07/14/10

For Questions and Comments, please mail to kathiel@cos.edu